Wikipedia

Simeon Akinola

Simeon Oluwatimelehin Akinola Olaonipekun (born 6 August 1992) is a retired Nigerian footballer.

Simeon Akinola
Personal information
Full name Simeon Oluwatimelehin Akinola Olaonipekun[1]
Date of birth (1992-08-06) 6 August 1992 (age 32)[2]
Place of birth Lagos, Nigeria
Height 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)[3]
Position(s) Winger / Forward
Youth career
Alcorcón
2009–2010 Boreham Wood
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2010–2012 Boreham Wood 21 (2)
2011 → Billericay Town (loan) 1 (0)
2012 → Harrow Borough (loan) 5 (4)
2012–2014 Harrow Borough 75 (22)
2014–2016 Braintree Town 104 (19)
2017–2020 Barnet 93 (21)
2020–2022 Southend United 25 (2)
2022 Wealdstone 6 (1)
Total 330 (71)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 20:12, 25 April 2023 (UTC)

Career

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Born in Lagos, Nigeria, Akinola moved to Madrid aged three. He started playing futsal aged nine before joining Alcorcón after a successful trial,[4][5] later moving to London.[6]

He joined the academy at Boreham Wood, and made his senior debut in January 2011, a season in which he scored 53 goals for the reserve team.[4][7] He was loaned out to Billericay Town in November 2011,[8] and then Harrow Borough in February 2012,[9] before signing for Borough permanently for a fee of £2,400, set by tribunal after Boreham Wood rejected an initial offer of £750.[10]

In August 2014, Akinola joined Braintree Town for an undisclosed fee.[5]

He joined Barnet on 1 January 2017 for a fee of £40,000.[11] He made his debut the following day against Plymouth Argyle[12]

On 31 August 2017 - transfer deadline day - Barnet agreed terms with Lincoln City for the transfer of Akinola, pending verification from the EFL.[13][14] On 5 September it was confirmed that the EFL had refused to ratify the transfer and that Akinola would remain at Barnet.[15] He left the club at the end of the 2019-20 season, having scored 24 goals in 106 games.[16]

On 17 September 2020, Akinola signed for Southend United on a two-year deal with an option for a third.[17] In November 2020 it was reported that Akinola's debut for the Shrimpers was being held up by an embargo on player registrations against the club.[18]

Akinola made his Southend United debut on 12 December 2020, starting in a 1–0 win at Roots Hall over Scunthorpe United.[19]

On 8 October 2022, Akinola signed for National League side Wealdstone.[20] He scored his first goal for the club on the same day, scoring in his first appearance from the bench, in a 2–1 defeat to Boreham Wood.[21] Akinola made seven appearances before leaving the club.

International career

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Akinola is eligible to play for Nigeria and Spain at international level. He was called up by England C in May 2015, but was forced to withdraw.[22]

Personal life

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Akinola has a degree in systems engineering from the University of Westminster.[23] In February 2023, he joined J.P. Morgan & Co. through its athlete transition programme.[24]

Career statistics

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As of 3 December 2022
Club Season League FA Cup League Cup Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Boreham Wood 2010–11 Conference South 4 0 0 0 --- 0 0 4 0
2011–12 17 2 0 0 --- 0 0 17 2
Boreham Wood total 21 2 0 0 --- 0 0 21 2
Billericay Town (loan) 2011–12 Isthmian League Premier Division 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
Harrow Borough (loan) 2011–12 Isthmian League Premier Division 5 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 4
Harrow Borough 2012–13 Isthmian League Premier Division 37 11 1 0 --- 0 0 38 11
2013–14 32 9 2 1 --- 0 0 34 10
2014–15 6 2 0 0 --- 0 0 6 2
Harrow total 75 22 3 1 --- 0 0 78 23
Braintree Town 2014–15[25] Conference National 38 4 3 2 --- 4[a] 1 45 7
2015–16[26] National League 41 10 0 0 --- 4[b] 0 45 10
2016–17[27] 25 5 3 1 --- 1[a] 0 29 6
Braintree total 104 19 6 3 --- 9 1 119 23
Barnet 2016–17[27] League Two 19 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 19 2
2017–18[28] 29 4 1 1 1 0 1[c] 0 32 5
2018–19[29] National League 14 0 1 0 --- 2[a] 0 17 0
2019–20[30] 31 15 2 0 --- 5[d] 2 38 17
Barnet total 93 21 4 1 1 0 8 2 106 24
Southend United 2020–21[31] League Two 24 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 24 2
2021-22 National League 1 0 0 0 --- 0 0 1 0
Southend total 25 2 0 0 --- 0 0 25 2
Wealdstone 2022–23 National League 6 1 1 1 0 0 1[e] 0 8 2
Career total 330 71 14 6 1 0 18 3 363 80
  1. ^ a b c Appearances in the FA Trophy
  2. ^ Two appearances in FA Trophy, two appearances in National League play-offs
  3. ^ Appearances in the EFL Trophy
  4. ^ Four appearances and two goals in the FA Trophy, one appearance in National League playoffs
  5. ^ Appearance in the Middlesex Senior Cup

References

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  1. ^ "EFL Released and Retained List 2016-17" (PDF). English Football League. p. 70. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
  2. ^ "Simeon Akinola". BarnetFC.com. Barnet FC. Retrieved 7 August 2019.
  3. ^ "Simeon Akinola". 11v11.com. AFS Enterprises. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
  4. ^ a b "Interview with Boreham Wood striker Simeon Akinola | the Elastico". Archived from the original on 15 June 2013.
  5. ^ a b "Devonshire strengthens forward options with signing of Akinola". Gazette.
  6. ^ "The Braintree Town FC website". www.braintreetownfc.org.uk.
  7. ^ Simeon Akinola - Aylesbury United
  8. ^ Association, The Football. "The website for the English football association, the Emirates FA Cup and the England football team". www.thefa.com.
  9. ^ "Simeon Akinola - Harrow Borough Football Club First Team". www.pitchero.com.
  10. ^ "Wood's Development Programme Recognised".
  11. ^ "Barnet bolster attacking options with Akinola". www.barnetfc.com.
  12. ^ "Barnet 1-0 Plymouth Argyle". BBC Sport.
  13. ^ "Statement | Simeon Akinola". www.barnetfc.com.
  14. ^ "Akinola Deal Pending". www.redimps.co.uk.
  15. ^ "Akinola Deal Off". www.redimps.co.uk.
  16. ^ "Club update". www.barnetfc.com.
  17. ^ "AKINOLA SIGNS!". www.southendunited.co.uk.
  18. ^ "New proposed EFL guidelines could see Southend United and many others clear embargoes". Echo.
  19. ^ "Southend United 1-0 Scunthorpe United". BBC Sport.
  20. ^ "Wealdstone make double striker swoop". 8 October 2022.
  21. ^ "Report: Debut goal and penalty controversy as Wealdstone are edged out by Wood". 9 October 2022.
  22. ^ "Braintree Town Winger Simeon Akinola To WAIT For England Debut:: All Nigeria Soccer - The Complete Nigerian Football Portal". www.allnigeriasoccer.com.
  23. ^ "Elephant Sport » Q&A – Barnet striker Simeon Akinola".
  24. ^ "The footballer who swapped the EFL for JP Morgan". The Athletic.
  25. ^ "Games played by Simeon Akinola in 2014/2015". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 12 July 2017.
  26. ^ "Games played by Simeon Akinola in 2015/2016". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 12 July 2017.
  27. ^ a b "Games played by Simeon Akinola in 2016/2017". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 12 July 2017.
  28. ^ "Games played by Simeon Akinola in 2017/2018". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 12 July 2017.
  29. ^ "Games played by Simeon Akinola in 2018/2019". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 12 July 2018.
  30. ^ "Games played by Simeon Akinola in 2019/2020". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 12 July 2019.
  31. ^ "Games played by Simeon Akinola in 2020/2021". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
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