Simeon Akinola
Simeon Oluwatimelehin Akinola Olaonipekun (born 6 August 1992) is a Nigerian footballer who plays for Southend United.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Simeon Oluwatimelehin Akinola Olaonipekun[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 6 August 1992[2] | ||
| Place of birth | Lagos, Nigeria | ||
| Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)[3] | ||
| Position(s) | Winger / Forward | ||
| Club information | |||
Current team | Southend United | ||
| Number | 9 | ||
| 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– | Southend United | 23 | (2) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 20:41, 12 April 2021 (UTC) | |||
Career
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]
International career
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.[20]
Personal life
Akinola has a degree in systems engineering.[21]
Career statistics
- As of 3 April 2021
| 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[22] | Conference National | 38 | 4 | 3 | 2 | --- | 4[lower-alpha 1] | 1 | 45 | 7 | |
| 2015–16[23] | National League | 41 | 10 | 0 | 0 | --- | 4[lower-alpha 2] | 0 | 45 | 10 | ||
| 2016–17[24] | 25 | 5 | 3 | 1 | --- | 1[lower-alpha 1] | 0 | 29 | 6 | |||
| Braintree total | 104 | 19 | 6 | 3 | --- | 9 | 1 | 119 | 23 | |||
| Barnet | 2016–17[24] | League Two | 19 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 2 |
| 2017–18[25] | 29 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1[lower-alpha 3] | 0 | 32 | 5 | ||
| 2018–19[26] | National League | 14 | 0 | 1 | 0 | --- | 2[lower-alpha 1] | 0 | 17 | 0 | ||
| 2019–20[27] | 31 | 15 | 2 | 0 | --- | 5[lower-alpha 4] | 2 | 38 | 17 | |||
| Barnet total | 93 | 21 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 2 | 106 | 24 | ||
| Southend United | 2020–21[28] | League Two | 23 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 2 |
| Career total | 322 | 70 | 13 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 17 | 3 | 353 | 78 | ||
- Appearances in the FA Trophy
- Two appearances in FA Trophy, two appearances in National League play-offs
- Appearances in the EFL Trophy
- Four appearances and two goals in the FA Trophy, one appearance in National League playoffs
References
- "EFL Released and Retained List 2016-17" (PDF). English Football League. p. 70. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
- "Simeon Akinola". BarnetFC.com. Barnet FC. Retrieved 7 August 2019.
- "Simeon Akinola". 11v11.com. AFS Enterprises. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
- "Interview with Boreham Wood striker Simeon Akinola | the Elastico". Archived from the original on 15 June 2013.
- "Devonshire strengthens forward options with signing of Akinola". Gazette.
- "The Braintree Town FC website". www.braintreetownfc.org.uk.
- Simeon Akinola - Aylesbury United
- Association, The Football. "The website for the English football association, the Emirates FA Cup and the England football team". www.thefa.com.
- "Simeon Akinola - Harrow Borough Football Club First Team". www.pitchero.com.
- "Wood's Development Programme Recognised".
- "Barnet bolster attacking options with Akinola". www.barnetfc.com.
- "Barnet 1-0 Plymouth Argyle". BBC Sport.
- "Statement | Simeon Akinola". www.barnetfc.com.
- "Akinola Deal Pending". www.redimps.co.uk.
- "Akinola Deal Off". www.redimps.co.uk.
- "Club update". www.barnetfc.com.
- "AKINOLA SIGNS!". www.southendunited.co.uk.
- "New proposed EFL guidelines could see Southend United and many others clear embargoes". Echo.
- "Southend United 1-0 Scunthorpe United". BBC Sport.
- "Braintree Town Winger Simeon Akinola To WAIT For England Debut:: All Nigeria Soccer - The Complete Nigerian Football Portal". www.allnigeriasoccer.com.
- "Elephant Sport » Q&A – Barnet striker Simeon Akinola".
- "Games played by Simeon Akinola in 2014/2015". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 12 July 2017.
- "Games played by Simeon Akinola in 2015/2016". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 12 July 2017.
- "Games played by Simeon Akinola in 2016/2017". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 12 July 2017.
- "Games played by Simeon Akinola in 2017/2018". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 12 July 2017.
- "Games played by Simeon Akinola in 2018/2019". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 12 July 2018.
- "Games played by Simeon Akinola in 2019/2020". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 12 July 2019.
- "Games played by Simeon Akinola in 2020/2021". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
External links
- Simeon Akinola at Soccerway