Adebayo Akinfenwa

Saheed Adebayo Akinfenwa (born 10 May 1982) is an English professional footballer who plays as a striker for Championship club Wycombe Wanderers.

Adebayo Akinfenwa
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[2]
Place of birth Islington, England
Height 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)[3]
Position(s) Striker
Club information
Current team
 Wycombe Wanderers
Number 20
Youth career
2000–2001 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)
2016– Wycombe Wanderers 171 (46)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 17:38, 2 January 2021 (UTC)

Akinfenwa's 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. 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, and two years later Wycombe Wanderers.

Personal life

Akinfenwa was born in Islington, North London and is of Nigerian descent. His father is a Muslim and his mother is a Christian, and while Akinfenwa observed Ramadan as a child, he is now a Christian.[4] He is a close friend of Clarke Carlisle, his former teammate at Northampton Town.[4] As a child, he supported Liverpool and his favourite player was John Barnes.[4]

Akinfenwa has been ranked as the strongest footballer in the world in various editions of the FIFA videogame series.[5] In September 2014 he was invited to attend the launch party for FIFA 15 alongside various celebrities and Premier League players, including Rio Ferdinand, George Groves and Lethal Bizzle. Akinfenwa reportedly weighs around 100 kilograms (16 st; 220 lb) and can bench press 180 kg (28 st; 400 lb), .[6][7] He runs a clothing label called Beast Mode On which plays on his strong man reputation.[5] His autobiography The Beast: My Story was published by Headline Publishing in 2017.[8]

Career

Early career

As a teenager, Akinfenwa 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.[9] While with the club Akinfenwa scored the winning goal in the 2001 Lithuanian Football Cup final and played in the UEFA Cup qualifying rounds for two successive seasons.[10] He received racial abuse from fans in the country, later saying "Coming from London, where nobody would disrespect me, this was just brazen".[4] He spent two years at the club before returning to the UK early in 2003, where he joined Welsh Premier League champions Barry Town.[11] Akinfenwa helped Barry to Welsh Cup and Welsh Premier League silverware during his time at Jenner Park. However, just a handful of matches into his stint, the club suffered a financial crisis and released its professional playing staff. Akinfenwa quickly joined Boston United in October 2003,[12] scoring a last minute winner on his debut against Swindon Town in the Football League Trophy.[13] Unable to settle, he moved to Leyton Orient the following month, but was released after one month.[14] In December 2003 he moved to Rushden & Diamonds and in February 2004 joined Doncaster Rovers, his fifth club of the season.[15]

Torquay United

In July 2004, Akinfenwa changed clubs again, signing for Torquay United, as a replacement for David Graham.[16] 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.[17]

Swansea City

In July 2005, Akinfenwa moved to Swansea City, who were ordered to pay an £85,000 fee as compensation.[18] He scored on his debut against Tranmere Rovers, and this was also the first competitive goal scored at Swansea's new Liberty Stadium.[19] 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.[20] 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.[21] This followed a fractured left shin the previous October.[22]

Millwall

At the end of the 2006–07 season, he rejected a new contract with Swansea,[23] and agreed to sign for Swindon Town on 29 June 2007.[24] However, he failed a medical.

After a period of rehabilitation and training at Gillingham,[25] he joined League One team Millwall on a month-to-month contract in November 2007.[26] However he failed to score any goals in seven appearances.[27]

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. Despite not featuring in the following game against Yeovil Town, he started the next home match against 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.[28] He started the 2008–09 season well, scoring twice in three matches 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,[29] 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 was offered a new contract by Gillingham at the conclusion of 2010–11 season,[30] but chose instead to return to Sixfields on 25 May 2011, after new Cobblers manager Gary Johnson brought him in to "capture the imagination of the supporters".[31] 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.[32] 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.[33] Northampton Town released him at the end of the 2012–13 season.[34]

Return to Gillingham

Akinfenwa re-signed for Gillingham on a free transfer on 2 July 2013.[35] 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, Akinfenwa left the club on expiry of his one-year contract.[36]

AFC Wimbledon
Akinfenwa playing for AFC Wimbledon in 2015

On 20 June 2014, he signed for League Two side AFC Wimbledon, who had pursued his signature for 14 months.[37] In the third round of the FA Cup on 5 January 2015, in which AFC Wimbledon hosted Liverpool at Kingsmeadow, Akinfenwa equalised against the club he supports, albeit in a 1–2 defeat.[38] On 8 June 2015, Akinfenwa extended his contract with Wimbledon, spurning interests from clubs in League One and Major League Soccer.[39] 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.[40] He told Sky Sports in his post-match interview: "I think I'm technically unemployed, so any managers hit me up on the WhatsApp and get me a job."[41]

Wycombe Wanderers

Following his departure from AFC Wimbledon, Akinfenwa signed for Wycombe Wanderers, initially on a one-year contract.[42]

In April 2018, he was nominated for the EFL League Two Player of the Season award.[43]

In May 2019 he was offered a new contract by Wycombe,[44] which he accepted on 12 June.[45][46]

With his strike against Doncaster Rovers on 29 February 2020, Akinfenwa became Wycombe's record goal scorer in the English football league with 54 goals.[47]

On 13 July 2020, Akinfenwa and Wycombe won the 2020 EFL League One play-off Final over Oxford gaining promotion to the EFL Championship for the first time in both the player's career and the club's history.[48] Akinfenwa finished the season as the club's joint-top league goal scorer with 10 goals.[49]

Akinfenwa signed a one-year contract extension with Wycombe on 16 July 2020.[50]

Career statistics
As of 2 January 2021
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Cup[lower-alpha 1] League Cup FL Trophy[lower-alpha 2] Play-offs[lower-alpha 3] Europe[lower-alpha 4] Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
FK Atlantas 2001[51] A Lyga 18431———20235
2002[51] A Lyga 4100———0041
Total 22531———20276
Barry Town 2002–03[52] Welsh Premier League 8610————96
2003–04[52] Welsh Premier League 1000———2030
Total 9610———20126
Boston United 2003–04[53] Third Division 30000011——41
Leyton Orient 2003–04[53] Third Division 10100000——20
Rushden & Diamonds 2003–04[54] Second Division 00000000——00
Doncaster Rovers 2003–04[53] Third Division 94000000——94
Torquay United 2004–05[55] League One 3714101022——4116
Swansea City 2005–06[56] League One 34910116520—4415
2006–07[57] League One 255411010——316
Total 591451217520—7521
Millwall 2007–08[58] League One 70200000——90
Northampton Town 2007–08[58] League One 157000000——157
2008–09[59] League One 3313003200——3615
2009–10[60] League Two 4017201010——4417
Total 8837204210——9539
Gillingham 2010–11[61] League Two 4411101000——4611
Northampton Town 2011–12[62] League Two 3918101010——4218
2012–13[63] League Two 411620203130—5117
Total 803430304130—9335
Gillingham 2013–14[64] League One 3410201000——3710
AFC Wimbledon 2014–15[65] League Two 4513411021——5215
2015–16[66] League Two 38600100032—428
Total 831941102132—9423
Wycombe Wanderers 2016–17[67] League Two 4212421054——5218
2017–18[68] League Two 4217311000——4618
2018–19[69] League One 367002110——398
2019–20[70] League One 321020101030—3910
2020–21[71] Championship 1900000———190
Total 1714693517430—19554
Career total 647200346194241411240739226
  1. Appearances in Lithuanian Cup, Welsh Cup and FA Cup
  2. Appearances in Football League Trophy
  3. Appearances in League One play-offs and League Two play-offs
  4. Appearances in UEFA Cup and UEFA Champions League

Honours

FK Atlantas

Barry Town

Swansea City

AFC Wimbledon

Wycombe Wanderers

Individual

References
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