Adebayo Akinfenwa

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Adebayo Akinfenwa
Adebayo Akinfenwa 2015.jpg
Akinfenwa in training with AFC Wimbledon in 2015
Personal information
Full name Saheed Adebayo Akinfenwa[1]
Date of birth (1982-05-10) 10 May 1982 (age 42)[1]
Place of birth Islington, England
Height Script error: No such module "person height".
Position(s) Striker
Youth career
1998–2001 Watford
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2001–2002 FK Atlantas 22 (5)
2003 Barry Town 9 (6)
2003 Boston United 3 (0)
2003 Leyton Orient 1 (0)
2003–2004 Rushden & Diamonds 0 (0)
2004 Doncaster Rovers 9 (4)
2004–2005 Torquay United 37 (14)
2005–2007 Swansea City 61 (14)
2007–2008 Millwall 7 (0)
2008–2010 Northampton Town 88 (37)
2010–2011 Gillingham 44 (11)
2011–2013 Northampton Town 80 (34)
2013–2014 Gillingham 34 (10)
2014–2016 AFC Wimbledon 83 (19)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 05:01, 7 May 2016 (UTC)

Saheed Adebayo Akinfenwa (born 10 May 1982), known as Adebayo Akinfenwa and nicknamed "The Beast", is an English professional footballer who plays as a striker and most recently played for AFC Wimbledon. He is known for his physical strength and heavy build.[2][3]

Akinfenwa's first professional breakthrough came at Doncaster Rovers, having spent time up until then in the lower leagues of English football as well as spells in Lithuania and Wales. Following a short but successful time at Doncaster, Akinfenwa moved to his seventh club, Torquay United. He proved to be a goal threat, but left the struggling team the following season to join Swansea City. After spending two seasons with the Welsh club, he joined League One side Millwall and later moved to Northampton Town, where his goal-scoring talent was recognised by higher league clubs such as Leyton Orient and Grimsby Town. Akinfenwa spent six years switching from Northampton to Gillingham, where his goal-scoring ability was still apparent. In June 2014, he signed for League Two side AFC Wimbledon on a 14-month contract.

Personal life

Akinfenwa is a close friend of Clarke Carlisle, his former teammate at Northampton.[3] As a child, he supported Liverpool and his favourite player was John Barnes.[3] His father is Muslim and his mother Christian, and while Akinfenwa had to observe Ramadan as a child, he is now a Christian.[3]

Akinfenwa has become well known for being ranked as the strongest footballer in the world in various editions of the FIFA videogame series,[4][5] In September 2014 he was invited to attend the launch party for FIFA 15 alongside various celebrities and Premier League players such as Rio Ferdinand, George Groves and Lethal Bizzle.[6]

Akinfenwa reportedly weighs around 16 stone (101 kg) and can bench press 200 kg, almost double his own body weight.[2][7] He runs a clothing label called Beast Mode On which plays on his strong man reputation.[4]

Career

Early career

Akinfenwa was born in Islington, London.[1] As a teenager, he joined the Lithuanian club FK Atlantas on the advice of his agent, whose Lithuanian wife's brother knew a member of the coaching staff there.[8] He received racial abuse from fans in the country, later saying "Coming from London, where nobody would disrespect me, this was just brazen".[3] He spent two years at the club before returning to the UK early in 2003, where he joined Welsh Premier League champions Barry Town.[9] Akinfenwa helped Barry to Welsh Cup and Welsh Premier League silverware during his time at Jenner Park. However, just a handful of games into his stint, the club suffered a financial crisis and released its professional playing staff. Akinfenwa quickly joined Boston United in October 2003,[10] scoring a last minute winner on his debut against Swindon Town in the Football League Trophy.[11] Unable to settle, he moved to Leyton Orient the following month, but was released after one month.[12] In December 2003 he moved to Rushden and Diamonds and in February 2004 joined Doncaster Rovers, his fifth club of the season.[13]

Torquay United

In July 2004, Akinfenwa changed clubs again, signing for Torquay United, as a replacement for David Graham.[14] He scored 14 league goals during the 2004–05 season but was unable to help the club avoid relegation to League Two. He declined to sign a new contract with Torquay at the end of the season.[15]

Swansea City

In July 2005, Akinfenwa moved to Swansea City, who were ordered to pay an £85,000 fee as compensation.[16] He scored on his debut against Tranmere Rovers, and this was also the first competitive goal scored at Swansea's new Liberty Stadium.[17] He scored the winning goal in the 2006 Football League Trophy final, in which Swansea beat Carlisle United 2–1. He also helped Swansea reach the League One promotion play-off final in his first season. After a 2–2 draw, the match went to a penalty shoot-out but Akinfenwa was one of two Swansea players to miss with their penalties, granting promotion to Barnsley. He was a regular the following season, until a broken right leg in the 2–0 defeat at home to Scunthorpe United ended his season.[18] This followed a fractured left shin the previous October.[19]

Millwall

At the end of the 2006–07 season, he rejected a new contract with Swansea,[20] and agreed to sign for Swindon Town on 29 June 2007.[21] However he failed a medical.

Following this, in November 2007 he joined League One team Millwall on a month-to-month contract,[22] however he failed to score any goals in seven appearances.[23]

Northampton Town

On 18 January 2008 Akinfenwa signed a deal with Northampton Town until the end of the 2007–08 season. He made his debut against Swindon Town, where he came off the bench to score a late equaliser in a 1–1 draw. He then had the same impact in his home debut, scoring the equaliser in a 1–1 draw against Leeds United. He started the following game, at home to Gillingham, and scored two goals in a 4–0 win. He scored three further goals that season.

On 30 May 2008, Akinfenwa signed a new one-year contract at Northampton despite declared interest from Leyton Orient and Grimsby Town.[24] He started the 2008–09 season well, scoring twice in three games by the end of September.

Akinfenwa ended his stay at Northampton in May 2010. He had been offered a new deal but Northampton could not agree a deal with him within an agreed timeframe.

Gillingham

Akinfenwa warming up for Gillingham in 2014

On 29 July 2010, he signed for Gillingham on a one-year contract,[25] and scored on his debut with a header against Cheltenham Town. Whilst at the Gills, Akinfenwa was able to form a strong partnership with Cody McDonald and the pair were able to score 36 goals between them that season.

Return to Northampton Town

Akinfenwa returned to Sixfields on 25 May 2011, after new Cobblers manager Gary Johnson brought him in to "capture the imagination of the supporters".[26] He scored his first goal against Bristol Rovers on 16 August. On 10 November 2012 in a match against Accrington Stanley, Akinfenwa scored his first, and to date only, professional hat-trick.[27] Three years later, with Northampton struggling financially, Akinfenwa auctioned off the shirt he wore in this match and donated the proceeds to a supporters' trust, raising £440.[28] Northampton Town released him at the end of the 2012–13 season.[29]

Return to Gillingham

Akinfenwa re-signed for Gillingham on a free transfer on 2 July 2013.[30] After reigniting his successful partnership with Cody McDonald, scoring 10 goals over the course of the 2013–14 season and coming third in their Supporters Player of the Year awards, Gillingham announced on their official website that Akinfenwa would be leaving the club.[31]

AFC Wimbledon

On 20 June 2014, he signed for League Two side AFC Wimbledon, who had pursued his signature for 14 months.[32] In the third round of the FA Cup on 5 January 2015, in which Wimbledon hosted Liverpool at Kingsmeadow, Akinfenwa equalised against the club he supports, albeit in a 1–2 defeat.[33] On 8 June 2015, Akinfenwa extended his contract with Wimbledon spurning interests from clubs in League One and Major League Soccer.[34] On 30 May 2016, after scoring a penalty in a 2–0 win against Plymouth Argyle in the League Two Play-Off Final, Akinfenwa was released from his contract.[35]

Career statistics

As of match played 13 February 2016.
Club statistics
Club Season League National Cup League Cup Europe Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
FK Atlantas 2001[36] A Lyga 18 4 2 1[lower-alpha 1] — 2[lower-alpha 2] 0 0 0 22 5
2002[36] A Lyga 4 1 2 1[lower-alpha 3] — 0 0 0 0 6 2
Total 22 5 4 2 0 0 2 0 0 0 28 7
Barry Town 2002–03[37] Welsh Premier League 8 6 8 6
2003–04[37] Welsh Premier League 1 0 1 0
Total 9 6 9 6
Boston United 2003–04[38] Third Division 3 0 0 0 0 0 — 1[lower-alpha 4] 1 4 1
Leyton Orient 2003–04[38] Third Division 1 0 1 0 0 0 — 0 0 2 0
Rushden & Diamonds 2003–04[39] Second Division 0 0 0 0 0 0 — 0 0 0 0
Doncaster Rovers 2003–04[38] Third Division 9 4 0 0 0 0 — 0 0 9 4
Torquay United 2004–05[40] League One 37 14 1 0 1 0 — 2[lower-alpha 4] 2 41 16
Swansea City 2005–06[41] League One 34 9 1 0 1 1 — 8[lower-alpha 5] 5 44 15
2006–07[42] League One 25 5 4 1 1 0 — 1[lower-alpha 4] 0 31 6
Total 59 14 5 1 2 1 0 0 9 5 75 21
Millwall 2007–08[43] League One 7 0 2 0 0 0 — 0 0 9 0
Northampton Town 2007–08[43] League One 15 7 0 0 0 0 — 0 0 15 7
2008–09[44] League One 33 13 0 0 3 2 — 0 0 36 15
2009–10[45] League Two 40 17 2 0 1 0 — 1[lower-alpha 4] 0 44 17
Total 88 37 2 0 4 2 0 0 1 0 95 39
Gillingham 2010–11[46] League Two 44 11 1 0 1 0 — 0 0 46 11
Northampton Town 2011–12[47] League Two 39 18 1 0 1 0 — 1[lower-alpha 4] 0 42 18
2012–13[48] League Two 41 16 2 0 2 0 — 6[lower-alpha 6] 1 51 17
Total 80 34 3 0 3 0 0 0 7 1 93 35
Gillingham 2013–14[49] League One 34 10 2 0 1 0 — 0 0 37 10
AFC Wimbledon 2014–15[50] League Two 45 13 4 1 1 0 — 2[lower-alpha 4] 1 52 15
2015–16 League Two 28 5 0 0 1 0 — 0 0 29 5
Career total 466 153 25 4 14 3 2 0 22 10 529 170

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Honours

Barry Town
Swansea City
AFC Wimbledon

References

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External links

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  36. ↑ 36.0 36.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  38. ↑ 38.0 38.1 38.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  43. ↑ 43.0 43.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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