The French striker’s Jedi cool has always meant that he will not be forced down anything other than his own chosen path

The hooded figure walked calmly through the frenzy, headphones in, dark glasses on, like some sort of Jedi. Nicolas Anelka had landed back in Europe, at Heathrow, after his World Cup tantrum in South Africa had sparked mutiny and meltdown in the France camp. He was click‑clicked every step of his way to the getaway car.

He did not need the shades. Anelka’s public face has always resembled a mask; the eyes staring impassively into the distance, whether in triumph or disaster. When the striker became a Champions League winner in 2000 with Real Madrid – he started in the 3-0 victory over Valencia in Paris – he seemed cut off, somewhat isolated, in the post-match celebrations.

Spool forward to the 2008 final in Moscow and when his shootout miss for Chelsea saw Manchester United crowned as the champions, unleashing extremes of emotion in all quarters, there was barely a flicker from him. Anelka’s nonchalance borders on the fatalistic; his professionalism is so icy that he regularly invites the accusation that he does not give a fig.

His transfer from Chelsea to Shanghai Shenhua, from the “greatest league in the world” to the fringes of the world game, at the age of 32, feels like his latest cold-blooded career decision. He might have been lining up at Stamford Bridge against Manchester City, one of his many former clubs, in one of the English season’s showpiece games. Instead, he is preparing to leap into the unknown in January. It ought to be mildly shocking yet Anelka has lost the capacity to shock.

He merely polarises opinion like few others. He is a hero to the kids in the banlieues, an icon with the power to roll up one of his tracksuit legs to the knee and spark a fashion craze. There are few players cooler than Anelka. But to many others in France he is seen as a mercenary who will be forever tainted by his rant at the national team’s manager, Raymond Domenech, at half-time in a 2010 World Cup group fixture against Mexico.

“Go and fuck yourself and your tactics,” Anelka told Domenech. After refusing to apologise, he was put on a flight to London, the end of his World Cup coming shortly before that of his country. His international career was effectively over when he was given an 18-game suspension. “I’m dying of laughter,” he said.

When Domenech’s players went on strike over Anelka’s expulsion, it showed his popularity in dressing rooms. Apart from at Madrid, when established stars made sure he was never welcomed, he has been well liked. At Chelsea, there was tremendous admiration for him and no little disillusionment when he was marginalised and then banished by André Villas-Boas.

Authority can fire Anelka’s non-conformist streak. If he has always tended to put himself first, he does not take kindly to being treated with disrespect. A hasty exit was likely when Villas-Boas told him he could not use the first-team facilities, after he had requested a transfer. It took him less than a week to finalise his two-year contract at Shenhua, which is worth €10.6m (£8.9m) a year.

Some misconceptions have built around Anelka. He was not a disadvantaged Parisian urbanite – he was born in Versailles and his parents had regular jobs. He is a committed family man, a father of two boys who enjoys nothing more than quiet time. He believes that Shanghai will be a great city for the children.

But he has allowed the enigmatic image to grow, spiced by his apparent wanderlust, the transfer fees that total £85.8m and the influence of his brothers Claude and Didier, who advise him – some would say badly. Anelka would argue that his move from Arsenal to Madrid came too early; that he wanted to stay at Liverpool; and that the transfers to City, Fenerbahce and Bolton were part of the quest to return to a leading club.

Anelka attended the Clairefontaine centre of excellence with Thierry Henry and was thought the better prospect. He was the prototype modern No9: jet-heeled, super fit and efficient, with silky smooth technique. But if he can look like the best player on any pitch, he has also shown infuriating inconsistency and, at times, indifference. The debate rages as to whether he has fulfilled his potential.

In 1997, at the Under-20 World Cup, Anelka missed a penalty in a quarter-final shootout lost to Uruguay. The France manager, Gérard Houllier, spoke of him lacking mental strength but being honest enough to recognise it. Plenty of people have got between the hip-hop beat in Anelka’s ears and found complexity. The game has been richer for it.

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• Shanghai Shenhua reportedly keen to sign striker
• Anelka is in final year of Chelsea contract

The Chinese side Shanghai Shenhua are reported to want to sign Nicolas Anelka from Chelsea in January. Reports in France claim the Super League side are willing to pay the former Paris St Germain, Arsenal and Real Madrid forward €10.6m (£9.17m) a year.

Anelka, who is available again for France selection after serving an 18-game ban for his part in the row which derailed Les Bleus’ World Cup campaign in South Africa in 2010, is out of contract at Stamford Bridge next summer.

The Chelsea manager, André Villas-Boas, admitted last month he feared the 32-year-old might not be interested in renewing his existing deal.

He said: “It might not be the player’s expectancy to renew [his contract]. We will make our efforts for him to renew but Nico has his own decision to make and I am not sure he will be willing. Nico as a person is very, very happy and he still belongs to Chelsea in the last year of his contract.”

Anelka has also been linked with moves to Major League Soccer with the New York Red Bulls, Philadelphia Union and Montreal Impact as well as the Italian champions Milan.

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Leaving Real Madrid took a certain maturity, a decision which helps demonstrate that the Spaniard is not the average footballer

Juan Mata got straight to the point. “My sister fancies you. Can she have your shirt?” David Beckham smiled and handed it over. Two observations about the story. First, it must be great to be David Beckham, and second, Mata, Chelsea’s £23.5m new boy, has the courage of his convictions and is not someone to allow opportunity to pass him by.

Mata was at Real Madrid when he encountered Beckham – the young hopeful travelled to Champions League games with the first team – but, aged 19, he left the club, feeling that their faith in him did not match that that he had in himself. Fabio Capello was the manager at the time and Mata said he “didn’t have much of an opportunity to interact” with him. He then joined Valencia in order to play regular football.

The decision to leave one of the world’s biggest clubs took a certain maturity and it demonstrates that Mata is not the average footballer, on or off the pitch. The 23-year-old is in the midst of a university degree in sports science and marketing, and he will carry on with it by correspondence from