Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti has hailed the tactical nous of France striker Nicolas Anelka ahead of the World Cup.
Anelka netted 15 times in all competitions for the Blues last term as Ancelotti's side won an historic Premier League and FA Cup double.
And, with the new 4-3-3 organization of the France team, the Chelsea ace is expected to be selected as the central forward in Raymond Domenech's starting XI during the World Cup.
While some fans believe the 31-year-old came into midfield too often during the last two friendlies against Costa Rica and Tunisia, Ancelotti believes the French public should trust in their striker.
He told L'Equipe: "He is very intelligent on a tactical level. Nicolas likes to touch the ball, and be in the centre of the game.
"If he is playing as centre forward and comes back to the midfield, that is no problem. That gives an unpredictable touch to your team's game.
He added: "Nicolas is versatile and can do anything. With me this season, he played in several different positions. Even if Nicolas is good anywhere, I believe his best position is centre forward.
"He is excellent when he got the ball in the gap, his pace hurts a lot. And in the box, he can keep his calm and be very efficient. He has the elegance of Marco van Basten."
The Italian tactician insisted Anelka is one of the very best forwards in the world.
"He is reliable both as a player and as a man. He never betrayed me," he said.
"He is very professional: I believe he is one of the very few players who never came in late to training sessions this season at Chelsea. He doesn't talk a lot but is frank and honest.
"When I came to Chelsea, he was one of the players I knew the least along with Florent Malouda. But by the end, they were my two biggest satisfactions."
Anelka netted 15 times in all competitions for the Blues last term as Ancelotti's side won an historic Premier League and FA Cup double.
And, with the new 4-3-3 organization of the France team, the Chelsea ace is expected to be selected as the central forward in Raymond Domenech's starting XI during the World Cup.
While some fans believe the 31-year-old came into midfield too often during the last two friendlies against Costa Rica and Tunisia, Ancelotti believes the French public should trust in their striker.
He told L'Equipe: "He is very intelligent on a tactical level. Nicolas likes to touch the ball, and be in the centre of the game.
"If he is playing as centre forward and comes back to the midfield, that is no problem. That gives an unpredictable touch to your team's game.
He added: "Nicolas is versatile and can do anything. With me this season, he played in several different positions. Even if Nicolas is good anywhere, I believe his best position is centre forward.
"He is excellent when he got the ball in the gap, his pace hurts a lot. And in the box, he can keep his calm and be very efficient. He has the elegance of Marco van Basten."
The Italian tactician insisted Anelka is one of the very best forwards in the world.
"He is reliable both as a player and as a man. He never betrayed me," he said.
"He is very professional: I believe he is one of the very few players who never came in late to training sessions this season at Chelsea. He doesn't talk a lot but is frank and honest.
"When I came to Chelsea, he was one of the players I knew the least along with Florent Malouda. But by the end, they were my two biggest satisfactions."
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