Adebayo Akinfenwa became an English Football League cult hero during his playing days, akin to the 'Barclaysmen' label handed to heroes of the Barclays era of the Premier League. His colossal frame and brute strength struck fear into opposition defenders, and only a few could go toe-to-toe with the English striker.
His 'Beast' nickname hit the nail on the head regarding Akinfenwa's presence when easily racing forward into the box or shrugging an opponent off the ball. He was a hit throughout his career, a fan favourite because of his friendly personality and lethal finishing abilities, bagging 60 goals and 40 assists in 250 games for Wycombe Wanderers.
Akinfenwa's best years came at Wycombe, where he helped the Chairboys gain promotion to the EFL Championship in July 2020. This was a first for the then-38-year-old and the club, but given his age, manager Gareth Ainsworth sought a long-term replacement. He decided on a fellow Londoner who Akinfenwa described as 'the strongest player I've played with'.
Akinfenwa Named Uche Ikpeazu His Strongest Teammate
He arrived at Wycombe a month after EFL Championship promotion
Wycombe had won the EFL League One Play-Off final against Oxford United at Wembley with Akinfenwa coming off the bench. He remained a prominent member of Ainsworth's side but needed replacing in the long run because their playing style was reliant on a big-man presence up top.
Ainsworth turned to Ikpeazu, bringing the English-born Ugandan striker to Adams Park from Scottish outfit Hearts for an undisclosed fee. He'd make six appearances alongside Akinfenwa, highlighting how he was viewed as the veteran striker's heir.
Akinfenwa named Ikpeazu the strongest player he played with when asked by Football JOE in 2022:
"The strongest player I probably played with was Uche Ikpeazu. Strong boy."
Uche Ikpeazu Career
Clubs
Games Played
Goals Scored
Goals Assisted
Yellow Cards
Red Cards
Ikpeazu had all the tools to be Akinfenwa's heir, which his new manager highlighted when sealing his capture. Ainsworth explained he was 'quick, strong and holds the ball up well' and tipped him to 'learn a lot from Akinfenwa'.
The 6ft3in forward spent just a year with Wycombe before moving to fellow Championship side Middlesbrough. He managed six goals and five assists in 33 games and had already cemented himself as a British Football League journeyman by this stage. Now aged, 30, he left Port Vale for Scottish outfit St. Johnstone in the summer of 2024.
Wes Morgan Was Akinfenwa's Strongest Opponent
Akinfenwa was given tough time against Premier League champion
Akinfenwa unfortunately, never played in the Premier League but came up against several 'hard men' who fans of the top-flight will be familiar with. He scored a shock equalizer in AFC Wimbledon's 2-1 loss to favourite club Liverpool in the FA Cup third-round in 2015 before Steven Gerrard's brace ensured no upset.
Liverpool put out a strong squad for that game, including Gerrard, Kolo Toure and Mario Balotelli. But none of those three were who Akinfenwa found the toughest locking horns with during his career from a physical perspective:
"Wes Morgan was probably the strongest I played against. I've never seen him great angry, so I think he could even be stronger if he gets angry. Every time I tried to rile him up he was just calm. So I think he had another layer to go if I got him angry."
|Wes Morgan Career|
|Clubs|Leicester, Nottingham Forest|
|Games Played|721|
|Goals Scored|28|
|Goals Assisted|6|
|Yellow Cards|75|
|Red Cards|7|
|---|
Wes Morgan was a rock in central defence for Leicester City for nine years, captaining the Foxes to their miracle Premier League triumph in 2015. The Jamaican centre-back, standing at 6foot1in, faced Akinfenwa four times during their careers, never losing.
Akinfenwa was kept quiet by Morgan when Nottingham Forest met Swansea City three times and Northampton Town once. His strength and physicality made him a vital member of any side he played in, and he relished taking on some of the Premier League's formidable forwards.
All statistics courtesy ofTransfermarkt- correct as of 13/03/2025.
Adebayo Akinfenwa (Wycombe Wanderers), Duncan Ferguson (Scotland), Mark Hughes (Man Utd) Related
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