"They blocked the gate. I wasn't allowed to enter" - Adebayor breaks silence on how Arsene Wenger forced him out of Arsenal

Former Arsenal star Emmanuel Adebayor has opened up about his bitter exit from the club during his playing days. The retired striker has revealed that he was stopped from entering the training ground after being exiled by former manager Arsene Wenger.

Adebayor arrived in north London from AS Monaco as a 21-year-old striker back in 2006. The former Togo international went on to impress with his performances, putting in a 30-goal season (48 games) during the 2007-08 campaign.

He was then the subject of interest from various European outfits amid speculation over his contract but the striker signed a new long-term deal with the club that summer.

However, Adebayor's renewal didn't last long and he left the club the following year after his relationship with Arsene Wenger turned sour.

Speaking about his time at Arsenal, Adebayor told Optus Sport (via Metro):

"I had a great season in 2008, I had everyone calling me. Milan, when Milan was great with Kaka, Gattuso, Maldini and Shevchenko, but I said I wasn’t going, I’m staying with Arsenal."

He continued:

"I went on holiday but when I came back to the club I had a meeting with the boss, and he said ‘I don’t need you any more.’ And I was like ‘Wow, what am I going to do?'"

"I wanted a chance to fight for my place and he said no," he added. "He said if I stayed, I’d not be in the squad for the league, not in the squad for the Champions League or the cup. I thought, ‘Ok, this is harsh.'"

"I decided to try and give it a chance to force my way back in, but I came back the next day to the training ground and they blocked the gate. I wasn’t allowed to enter the Arsenal training ground facility and that’s when I realised it was over," Adebayor concluded.

Emmanuel Adebayor on infamous celebration against Arsenal in 2009

Adebayor left the Gunners to join Manchester City in 2009, only to cross paths with his former club just four games into the Premier League season.

The Cityzens won 4-2 at the Etihad, with Adebayor scoring a header against the Gunners. After his goal, the striker ran the length of the pitch to celebrate in front of the away end, causing uproar among Arsenal fans.

Recalling the iconic moment that fans certainly remember to date, he told the aforementioned outlet:

"When we get to the stadium…we’re walking across the pitch, Arsenal fans are already at the stadium singing that famous song, ‘Adebayor, Adebayor, give him the ball and he will score’ but this time around I realise the song is different but I couldn’t hear what they were saying properly."

"So as we went to the restaurant and as we were eating, Micah Richards spoke to me. He brought the song up and obviously the newest version was attacking my parents, my mother and my father," he added. "At that moment, I was like you can insult me as you want but not my parents, not those who gave me a chance to be who I am, not those who gave me a chance to represent your club and score goals for your club."

He continued:

"So when I came out, inside I was boiling and my spirit went up and I had to do something. Arsenal fans were just singing that song, abusing my parents and when I scored that goal, for me it is one of deliberation. I had to give something back."

"A lot of people ask me, do I regret it? No, of course not. I will never regret that celebration because of where the anger came from. I think God chose me to score that goal to show them," Adebayor concluded.