Anelka 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.

The Daily Telegraph reports that: "It is believed Anelka may have experienced a recent tragedy in his personal life and talks to find an amicable solution with the club have so far failed. There is no suggestion of a bust-up."

The Telegraph says Anelka has cleared out his locker while Sky Sports reports that he has told staff at the club that he is retiring.

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.