Adebayo Akinfenwa facts for kids
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Akinfenwa in training with AFC Wimbledon in 2015
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 10 May 1982 | ||
| Place of birth | Islington, England | ||
| Height | 6 feet 1 inch (1.85 m) | ||
| Playing position | Striker | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2000–2001 | Watford | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2001–2002 | FK Atlantas | 22 | (5) |
| 2002 | Laisvė Šilutė | 0 | (0) |
| 2002 | 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 | 59 | (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) |
| 2016–2022 | Wycombe Wanderers | 219 | (52) |
| 2023 | Faversham Town | 2 | (0) |
| Total | 697 | (206) | |
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Saheed Adebayo Akinfenwa (born May 10, 1982) is a famous English former professional footballer. He was known for being an incredibly strong striker. He was often called "The Beast" because of his strength.
Akinfenwa's big break in professional football came at Doncaster Rovers. Before that, he played in lower English leagues and also spent time playing in Lithuania and Wales. After a successful period at Doncaster, he moved to Torquay United. He was a great goal scorer there.
Later, he joined Swansea City and helped them win the 2006 Football League Trophy Final. He then played for clubs like Millwall, Northampton Town, and Gillingham. In 2014, he signed with AFC Wimbledon, and two years later, he joined Wycombe Wanderers. He stayed with Wycombe until he retired in 2022. His last professional match was at Wembley Stadium in a play-off final.
About Adebayo Akinfenwa
His Early Life
Akinfenwa was born in Islington, North London. His family comes from the Yoruba people of Nigeria. His father is Muslim and his mother is Christian. When he was a child, he supported Liverpool football club. His favorite player was John Barnes.
His Football Journey
Starting in Lithuania and Wales
As a teenager, Akinfenwa went to play for a club in Lithuania called FK Atlantas. His agent suggested it. While playing there, he scored the winning goal in the 2001 Lithuanian Football Cup final. He also played in the UEFA Cup qualifying rounds. He faced some difficult times there, including racial abuse from fans.
After two years in Lithuania, he came back to the UK in 2003. He joined Welsh Premier League champions Barry Town. He helped Barry win the Welsh Cup and the Welsh Premier League. However, the club soon faced money problems and had to let its players go.
Moving Around English Clubs
Akinfenwa then joined Boston United in October 2003. He scored a winning goal in his very first game! But he didn't stay long and moved to Leyton Orient the next month. He was released after only one month. In December 2003, he moved to Rushden & Diamonds. In February 2004, he joined Doncaster Rovers. This was his fifth club in one season!
Time at Torquay United
In July 2004, Akinfenwa signed with Torquay United. He scored 14 goals during the 2004–05 season. Fans even voted him their Player of the Season. But he couldn't stop the club from being moved down to a lower league. He decided not to sign a new contract with Torquay.
Playing for Swansea City
In July 2005, Akinfenwa joined Swansea City. He scored a goal in his first game for them. This was also the first goal ever scored at Swansea's new Liberty Stadium. He scored the winning goal in the 2006 Football League Trophy Final, helping Swansea beat Carlisle United 2–1. He also helped Swansea reach the play-off final in his first season. However, they lost in a penalty shoot-out. He had a tough time with injuries, breaking his right leg and fracturing his left shin.
Short Spell at Millwall
After leaving Swansea, Akinfenwa tried to sign with Swindon Town but failed a medical test. After recovering, he joined Millwall in November 2007 on a short contract. He played seven games but didn't score any goals.
Northampton Town and Gillingham
On January 18, 2008, Akinfenwa signed with Northampton Town. He made a great start, scoring late equalizers in his first two games. He also scored two goals in a 4–0 win against Gillingham. He stayed at Northampton until May 2010.
On July 29, 2010, he signed with Gillingham. He scored in his first game for them. He formed a strong partnership with another player, Cody McDonald, and they scored many goals together.
Akinfenwa returned to Northampton Town in May 2011. On November 10, 2012, he scored his first and only professional hat-trick! He later helped the club when they had money problems by auctioning off his game shirt to raise money for fans. Northampton released him in 2013.
He then re-signed for Gillingham on July 2, 2013. He continued his successful partnership with Cody McDonald, scoring 10 goals that season. He left the club when his contract ended.
Time at AFC Wimbledon
On June 20, 2014, Akinfenwa signed with AFC Wimbledon. He had been a target for them for over a year. In January 2015, in an FA Cup match, he scored against his favorite club, Liverpool! Wimbledon lost the game, but it was a special moment for him.
He extended his contract with Wimbledon in 2015. On May 30, 2016, after scoring a penalty in a play-off final that Wimbledon won, he was released from his contract. In a funny interview, he told Sky Sports, "I think I'm technically unemployed, so any managers hit me up on the WhatsApp and get me a job."
Success at Wycombe Wanderers
After leaving Wimbledon, Akinfenwa signed for Wycombe Wanderers. In April 2018, he was nominated for an award as one of the best players in his league. On February 29, 2020, he became Wycombe's top goal scorer in the English Football League with 54 goals.
On July 13, 2020, Akinfenwa and Wycombe won the 2020 League One play-off final. This meant Wycombe was promoted to the Championship for the first time in the club's history, and also the first time in Akinfenwa's career! He scored 10 goals that season.
On July 8, 2021, Akinfenwa signed his last one-year contract with Wycombe. He said it would be his final season in professional football. His very last game for Wycombe was a play-off final in May 2022, where they lost to Sunderland.
After retiring from professional football, Akinfenwa briefly played for Faversham Town in March 2023.
Personal Life and "The Beast"
Akinfenwa grew up observing Ramadan, but he is now a Christian. He is good friends with Clarke Carlisle, a former teammate.
Akinfenwa is famous for being ranked as the strongest footballer in the world in many versions of the FIFA video game series. He is known for his incredible strength. He reportedly weighs around 102 kilograms (16 stone) and can lift 180 kilograms (400 pounds) while bench pressing!
He even has his own clothing brand called Beast Mode On, which is inspired by his strong reputation. In 2017, he wrote a book about his life called The Beast: My Story.
Honours
Adebayo Akinfenwa won several awards and trophies during his career:
FK Atlantas
- Lithuanian Football Cup: 2000–01
Barry Town
- Welsh Premier League: 2002–03
- Welsh Cup: 2002–03
Swansea City
- Football League Trophy: 2005–06
AFC Wimbledon
- Football League Two play-offs: 2016
Wycombe Wanderers
- EFL League One play-offs: 2020
Individual Awards
- Sir Tom Finney Award: 2023
- EFL League Two Player of the Month: November 2012
- EFL Team of the Season: 2017–18
- PFA Team of the Year: 2017–18 League Two
- Torquay United Player of the Year: 2004–05
- Northampton Town Player of the Year: 2009–10
- AFC Wimbledon Player of the Year: 2014–15
- Wycombe Wanderers Player of the Season: 2016–17, 2017–18
See also
In Spanish: Adebayo Akinfenwa para niños
