An ex-Arsenal player discussed his feelings towards one of his former team-mates

Former Arsenal striker Nicklas Bendtner singled out Emmanuel Adebayor as the only teammate he never saw eye to eye with. The two forwards played alongside each other for several years but their well-documented animosity memorably boiled over on the pitch, despite both representing the Gunners.

Bendtner came through the academy to make his first-team debut in 2005, with Adebayor subsequently arriving from Monaco. Following the Dane's return from a loan stint at Birmingham City, the pair became two of Arsene Wenger's forward options during the 2007/08 campaign, though it quickly became apparent that the pair were at odds.

Denmark international Bendtner spent nine years in Arsenal's first team, later returning to England with Nottingham Forest, who host the Gunners on Sunday. The 38-year-old also had stints in Italy, Germany and Norway before hanging up his boots in his homeland with Copenhagen, yet the forward openly acknowledged that Adebayor was the only player he never connected with.

Their fractious relationship came to a head most notably during a disastrous 5-1 League Cup semi-final loss to rivals Tottenham Hotspur in January 2008, with Spurs going on to claim the trophy. The heavy defeat saw tempers flare as the two strikers became embroiled in a heated confrontation.

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"There is only one guy I've fallen out with and that's Adebayor. We never liked each other. Apart from that I got on with most people," Bendtner told talkSPORT in 2021. "We sat next to each other in the changing room. He was 25, I was 26, from the first moment we saw each other it was just a bad vibe. That never changed."

Focusing on their confrontation against Spurs, he continued: "We had some small bust-ups in the changing room and that quite big one in Tottenham where it sort of blew out of proportion. We got hammered 5-1, we were so bad and the disappointment of letting the fans and team down just got out of hand between us.

"We had that sting on the pitch then we had a little bit in the dressing room and then the next day we were in [Arsene] Wenger's office getting fined. It got explained how we had to learn how to deal with each other on a professional level and on a personal level.

"It was actually quite a good way of learning how to work with someone that you really disliked."

Adebayor excelled for Arsenal during the 2007/08 season, netting 30 goals across all competitions, but couldn't deliver silverware to Wenger's team. He left for Manchester City in 2009 and the striker's notorious celebration against his former club followed. Adebayor subsequently twisted the knife further by moving to Arsenal's rivals Spurs in 2011.

Bendtner registered 47 goals in 171 outings for the Gunners before departing for Wolfsburg when his contract expired in 2014. The striker secured the DFB-Pokal in his first campaign but found regular game time elusive.

He returned to England to join Forest, finding the net twice in 17 matches during his only year at the City Ground. A late-career resurgence with Rosenborg ensued, as his goals guided the team to two league titles and the Norwegian Cup. The striker chose to hang up his boots in 2020 following a brief final chapter with hometown side Copenhagen.

Bendtner may keep a close eye on Arsenal's next fixture as the Gunners continue their efforts to retain the Premier League title against another of his former clubs. Mikel Arteta's team will target cutting the deficit to league leaders Manchester City back to three points with victory over Forest.