Name: Saheed Adebayo Akinfenwa, aka Adebayo Akinfenwa, aka Bayo aka Boyo DOB: 10th May 1982 Place of Birth: Walthamstow, East London. Height: 5 feet 11 inches. Weight: Anything from 14 to 16 1/2 stone problem area alert Nationality: Nigerian/English The Bayo story starts as a young trainee with Watford and, according to some reports, with Arsenal. After failing to make the grade in London, the teenage Akinfenwa looked further afield to start his rise to stardom. For a player who has made so much of his desire to stay close to his London base throughout his career, it comes as a bit of a surprise to find that he started his professional career in Lithuaniua of all places, with Virsliga side Atlantas Klaipedas. He was with Atlantas for two seasons from 2001 to 2003. The club finished runners up twice in the Lithuanian league during his time with them. Bayo realised what is surely every schoolboy’s dream in 2001 when he scored the winner in the Lithuanian Cup Final. After two years in Lithuania, Bayo soon began to question his agent’s claim that Virsliga was “just a short journey from London, with transport these days Bayo you could be home in 10 minutes?” With the player apparently on the verge of the Nigerian international squad, people were beginning to sit up and take note of the young striker. Unfortunately for Bayo, one of those people was John Fashanu, then Chairman of welsh league team Barry Town. Playing on the Nigerian connection, Fashanu signed the 20 year old in March 2003. Bayo was a big hit in Barry, scoring 7 times in 8 apps towards the end of the 02/03 season to help Barry to their third consecutive welsh championship and the Premier Cup. To my knowledge Bayo is the only player to have won a championship medal both in Wales and Lithuania,can’t fault it boyo, Bayo. During the summer of 2003, Bayo had a trial with home town club Orient, but was apparently carrying too much weight and wasn’t considered fit enough, but that didn’t bother Barry, who offered him a one year contract to stay for another season, the lure of Champions’ League 1st qualifying round thrashings being too much to refuse. When the financial poo hit the fan at Barry Town, Fashanu left the club, and the club released all of its professionals, including Akinfenwa. Wanting to establish himself in the English league, he had a few trials, and in October 2003 was signed on a one-month contract by Boston Utd after impressing for the reserves. He scored on his debut for the club against Swindon in the LDV, but went on to make only 3 other appearances for the Pilgrims. He turned down the offer of an extended contract with the club due to Leyton Orient renewing their interest in the player. Orient’s manager Martin Ling invited him for a trial, and Bayo joined Orient on a month’s contract on 3rd November 2003. However, he was released having made just two first team appearances. Rumours of a lack of fitness being the cause for his release are strengthened by Orient fans referring to him as ‘Fatty Akinfenwa’. Next stop on the ‘Akinfenwa On Tour 2003’ circus was League 1 side Rushden & Diamonds. Bayo spent only a few weeks with the club over Christmas and New Year on a non-contract basis. He was on the bench for a few games, but never actually made a senior appearance. Bayo joined Doncaster Rovers in February 2004, signing a contract until the end of the season. Bayo made his debut for Rovers as a substitute against none other than Swansea City in the 1-1 draw on the 5th March. He went on to score 3 times in 4 games for Rovers to help them gain promotion to League 1. He also got sent off for Rovers that season after a bust-up with future Swans player Kevin ‘The Doorman’ Austin in a game against Bristol Rovers. Now That’s hard. His time at Doncaster was, as you’d imagine, far from plain sailing. Things started to go wrong when talks began on a new contract at Belle Vue. Rovers manager Dave Penney made it clear that he wanted all his players to live within 30 miles of the club, and this was non-negotiable. At the time Bayo was still based back home in London, and was reluctant to leave, especially with rumours of an unhappy Mrs Akinfenwa who wanted to stay down south. Unhappy with a lack of commitment from the player who had missed a number of training sessions due to family problems back in London, Penney withdrew the contract offer and Bayo left the club. From here, with a reputation as a troublemaker growing by the season, Bayo was given another chance by Torquay United. After starting the season out of favour due to concerns over his fitness and the excess weight he was carrying, he finished the season with 14 league goals from 37 appearances for the Gulls, winning the clubs Player Of The Season award in the process, as well as introducing a trademark dancing goal celebration which I hope to see a good 20 times this coming season. Anyway, another close season, another contract dispute. With Bayo away on holiday, it appeared he had not one but two agents acting on his behalf, both giving out different signals as to Bayo’s wishes. One minute one of the agents was telling Gulls chairman Mike Bateson that the striker was happy to stay, the next minute another agent is saying that we is unhappy with the contract offer, unhappy in Torquay and wants to move to another club. After a week or so of this nonsense, with Bateson tearing out what little hair he has left, it was decided that Akinfenwa would not play for Torquay again and he became publicly available. As reported yesterday, the latest chapter in the Bayo saga is his agreeing to join Swansea City on a 2 year deal after rejecting offers from other clubs including Bristol City and Gillingham. Jackett claims to have tracked Bayo’s career since his time at Watford and believes a settled period with the Swans will bring out the best in the player. Quotes About Bayo: “When he runs at you it is a frightening sight” Boston Manager Neil Tompson. “He is a big lad and reminds me very much of (former heavyweight boxer) Sonny Liston”. Rushden Manager Brian Talbot. “You can see why he has flitted in and out of clubs?the first chance he gets to go back to London he is off” Doncaster Rovers manager David Penney. “Akinfenwa wrestled for the ball like Nigel Benn, shielded it like MI5 and dispatched it like Cyrille Regis” (from a Daily Telegraph report on the FA cup game between Sheff Wed and Torquay last season.
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