Adebayo Akinfenwa opens up on life after retirement as EFL icon sets new goal

Exclusive:

EFL icon Adebayo Akinfenwa is lookinf to help the next generation of footballers navigate the challenges they will face in the coming years after calling time on his own career

Adebayo Akinfenwa has never been one to shy away from an opportunity.

The former striker once invited potential employers to ‘hit him up on WhatsApp’ live on television just minutes after guiding AFC Wimbledon to promotion with the knowledge that his contract was not going to be renewed.

Not much has changed in that respect for Akinfenwa, 42, since hanging his boots up at the end of the 2021/22 campaign. His infectious character has seen led to him being inundated with various media opportunities and the chance to front campaigns.

But he’s putting that on the back-burner in a bid to set up a proper support network to help youngsters enjoy their football in their bid to make it professionally after adapting to his new life as a ‘football dad’.

“It’s cliche, but the next generation is the future and I’ve got five kids, so that resonates with me,” Akinfenwa explains to Mirror Football.

“Mentoring is something I’ll aways do – whether that’s me doing something official or doing what I am now, just going and chatting to people.”

Akinfenwa made no secret of his desire to help others back when he first started taking the pen to the final chapters of his playing career. Mentoring is something he’s managed to experience, too, since his Wycombe swansong through various campaigns.

His two young sons are both currently within the academy at his former club, AFC Wimbledon, and he is now a regular on the touchline. It’s his own experiences of the game, coupled with how society and football has evolved since he first laced up a pair of boots as a teenager at Watford, which fuel the concerns he has for youngsters playing today.

“To navigate in this world, especially the world I know in football, there’s a lot of distractions which the next generation need a little bit more education on.

“The way the game has changed, with things like social media, the level of pressure on everybody is huge, even down to grassroot level with kids and parents, trying to get nine-year-olds into academies. It can’t be the be all and end all at that age – these things shouldn’t feel like the end of the world.”

Akinfenwa has worked with players who have suffered rejection and gone into schools to share his experience with children who aspire to be the next global superstar, following in the footsteps of Kylian Mbappe. He also has aspirations to set up something more official in the future.

And while he accepts there is a natural desire to succeed, he has concerns over the brutal nature of the industry, particularly for those who place such intense pressure upon themselves at a tender age and forget the real reason they’re playing: fun.

“I always say to my son, ‘If [football] is something you want to do, then go ten toes for it.’ Put your all into it because you can’t do it half-hearted.

“But then at the same time, you can’t hit a wall or get knocked down and it then breaks you completely; there has to be a balance. And that’s what a little bit worrying: I’m seeing nine, 10, 11 year olds and they’re devastated. I’m like, ‘You shouldn’t even know that.’ It should just be you’re just going somewhere to play football at 11.

“Their aim should be to become a professional, not to play for an academy at 11. So be passionate, be obsessed, but have a balance.”

Akinfenwa is more than aware, though, from past experiences that getting through is easier said than done.

“My parents used to say stuff to me. But, you know, you’re like, ‘They’re my parents.’ My son is exactly the same. I’ll go speak in a room with a thousand people and they’ll listen, but to him, it’s just dad. So sometimes you need to be able to relate to them in different ways.

“At the end of the day, everybody’s story is different. And what works for me may not work for my son. And I get that.”

Akinfenwa himself has been forced to negotiate some of the challenges facing players at the other end of the spectrum after calling time on his own career two years ago.

Though he was ready to call it a day, the reality of giving up football is easier said than done. Akinfenwa is the first to admit he’s been fortunate with various media opportunities and important campaigns to keep him occupied.

He ruled out the possibility of staying within the game as a coach previously and is sticking to his guns. While he hasn’t changed his tune on coach, he been left surprised by some of the other new things he has experienced.

“Nothing can replicate a changing room. I’ve always enjoyed the interaction of football and radio sort of gives you that, which I like. It’s instant interaction.

“I remember we had a topic about rivalries and there was a question asking would you support your child or the team you support if they played against each other. And there was people calling up saying, ‘It doesn’t matter if they’re my child, if they play for the rival of my team, I wouldn’t want them to succeed.’ I was just baffled; it was the most intriguing thing getting different perspectives and I remember leaving thinking, ‘That was wicked’.

“If somebody would have said, ‘Would you enjoy the radio,’ I’d have been like eh, I don’t know. Then when I did it, it was great.

“At the moment, I’m still in a position where I can try different things until I hone in on something I can do for the next 15 years. I’ve come out of that bubble and for me, I still find it exhilarating that there’s a whole world out there. That won’t get old.”

Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.