When you think of iconic Football League players of the 21st century, very few stand-out quite as much as Adebayo Akinfenwa.

Aptly named 'The Beast', he has racked over 550 appearances in League One and League Two, scoring 175 goals in the process for an array of sides.

In the past, Swansea City, Millwall, Northampton Town, Gillingham and AFC Wimbledon have all witnessed him mercilessly bully opposition defenders and score plenty of goals in the process.

Most recently, however, it has been Wycombe Wanderers who have been blessed with his rather noticeable presence in attack.

Signed by Gareth Ainsworth in the summer of 2016, Akinfenwa has gone on to make 137 appearances for the Chair Boys, scoring 43 goals and assisting 30 more as he helped them out of League Two and into the third-tier.

Last season was his first back in League One since the 2013/14 campaign with Gillingham but can he deliver for Gareth Ainsworth again this time around?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In what was at times a perilous campaign for Wycombe, as they were enveloped in what turned into a royal rumble of a relegation battle, Akinfenwa's attacking presence seriously told.

They eventually finished in 17th place, just three points above the drop-zone, in a season where small margins seemed to decide everything down at the bottom.

So, whilst Akinfenwa may have come away slightly disappointed with his personal goal tally, when mired in a battle against the drop those 12 goals in which he was directly involved in (seven goals, five assists) may well have made all the difference.

At 37, you would not have held it against him if his attacking output was beginning to slow down but - giving his style of play and how accustomed he is to playing it - that does not look likely at all.

Akinfenwa was still averaging over 2.5 shots on target per game last season as well as ending with a dribble success rate of 63%, which is deceptively high for a man of his stature to say the least.

With both Bolton Wanderers and Bury set to start next season with a 12-point deduction each, it makes the chances of a mammoth relegation battle unlikely but Wycombe cannot get complacent.

Of course, Ainsworth will want to push further up the league table and so he should. But the chances of them turning into top-six challengers over one summer are slim.

Therefore, having someone like Akinfenwa, who just keeps on delivering, will undoubtedly prove a very useful tool next season.