Adebayo Akinfenwa calls Dele Alli a ‘lairy kid’ – but admits he couldn’t get anywhere near Tottenham star
Wycombe's 16-stone Beast has physically intimidated many an opponent — but not the former MK Dons midfielder
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WYCOMBE’S 16-stone Beast Adebayo Akinfenwa has physically intimidated many an opponent — but not Dele Alli.
Akinfenwa crossed swords with an 18-year-old Dele, who was weighing in at around 11st 6lb, when AFC Wimbledon met MK Dons in a League Cup grudge match in 2014 — and he admits he could not get anywhere near the ‘lairy’ kid.
Now before he takes on Dele’s Spurs in the FA Cup fourth round on Saturday, the Beast claims the England midfielder is a standard bearer for lower-league players.
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Akinfenwa said: “Two years ago, I played against Dele Alli and I couldn’t get near him.
“He did something to me which was a bit lairy but he wasn’t intimidated — he was just, ‘Come on then, bring it on!’.
“I just wanted to bring this boy down but I couldn’t catch him.
“I was watching Spurs play Chelsea the other week and I tweeted that I couldn’t catch him — but neither could the best players in the world.
“He gave them the runaround as well, which made me feel better. There is quality in the lower leagues.
“The Premier League is what it is — the money, the need for instant success and the idea that if something is expensive, it must be quality — but as a long servant in the lower leagues I still see a lot of untapped potential.
“Dele Alli is a prime example. Two years ago he was running League One, now he’s running it in the Prem. Long may he fly the flag.
“People think you’ve got to be good yesterday but give people the chance and we’ll have more Dele Allis.”
Akinfenwa claims Wycombe have a puncher’s chance — though he is not as optimistic as when his Wimbledon side faced Liverpool two years ago and were pipped 2-1.
He said: “We honestly believe we will give Spurs a game but they are in-form title contenders who dispatched Chelsea.
“It’s not like when Liverpool came to Wimbledon’s ground and were going through a bad patch under Brendan Rodgers.
“We need Spurs to not play their best and for us to play better than our best. But I’m going into the occasion with lust.
“I’ll enjoy it win, lose or draw — as long as we don’t get absolutely spanked.”