Nicolas Anelka, the most high-profile foreign footballer ever to sign for the Chinese league, arrived to join up with his new side Shanghai Shenhua on Wednesday, the club said. The 32-year-old former Chelsea striker posed for a photo with an immigration official at the city's airport before being whisked through security to a special VIP exit, the state-backed media website Eastday said.
China's legion of football fans are hoping the French international will not only boost Shenhua, who finished in the bottom half of the table last season, but also raise the standard of play in the country's scandal-hit Super League. "Anelka finally came to Shenhua. My dream has finally come true," said one fan, Danni, on his microblog. "The Shenhua club's performance will definitely be worth watching this year." Anelka was taken to the luxury Peninsula hotel, where he had breakfast in the lobby lounge while listening to music on his headphones, staff members said.
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