Anelka walks out on West Brom, retires from football

The 34-year-old former France international only signed a one-year deal at the Hawthorns last month with the option of a further 12 months.

When he completed the deal Anelka said he hoped to retire at the club but nobody expected that announcement to come so soon.

Anelka had shown decent form in pre-season and started the Baggies opening Premier League game of the season against Southampton.

Anelka is a well-travelled striker with a reputation for hot-headedness that has cooled in recent years, although he was a key protagonist in France's infamous World Cup 'strike' that effectively ended his international career in 2010.

He started his career at Paris Saint-Germain before joining Arsenal for £500,000 as a teenager. A big-money but ill-fated move to Real Madrid followed, with the Frenchman embarking on a journeyman career that has also seen him play for Manchester City, Bolton Wanderers, Chelsea, Liverpool, Fenerbahce and China.