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Emmanuel Adebayor to consider future, open to Premier League return

Emmanuel Adebayor will return to Togo to consider his future after his country's African Nations Cup exit, and admitted he would welcome a move back to England.

Togo were eliminated from the tournament by their 3-1 group-stage defeat to the DR Congo on Tuesday.

Adebayor, 32, skippered his nation at the African Nations Cup, despite having been without a club since leaving Crystal Palace at the end of last season.

The former Arsenal, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur forward now intends to take some time before deciding what to do next.

"I didn't come here to search for a club. I came here to play and represent my country and I think I've done that quite well," Adebayor told AFP.

"Now we are out, I am just going home and I'll call my manager and see if there are some clubs that are interested in me. Let's take it step-by-step and see how it goes."

Bar a brief loan spell at Real Madrid, Adebayor has spent the last decade in England, scoring 97 goals in 242 Premier League appearances.

"You know how much I love the Premier League even though I am not the most-loved player in England. I have done it for the last ten years in the Premier League," said the striker, who will also speak to Togo coach Claude Le Roy about his international future.

"I don't know yet. I don't want to take any decision right now. It's going to be a hard one to take. I'm going to sit down with the manager and see how I can be involved in the national team."

After seeing his star forward toil for his teammates in the extreme conditions of Gabon, Le Roy is convinced Adebayor still has a future at the top of the game.

"It's unbelievable what he did during these eight days. Three games in a row at this level without any game for eight months," the coach, 68, said.

"We trained every morning with him for four-and-a-half weeks in Lome before the tournament. At 7:30, 8am, he was there with all my staff.

"I'm sure that if he is coming back in a club he will be great in the next few months because he showed everybody that he was at the level."