Adebayo Akinfenwa has revealed that Steven Gerrard apologised to him just before ending his dream of playing at Anfield.
The legendary striker joined talkSPORT Breakfast on Tuesday morning after recently calling time on his stellar 21-year career.
There have been countless highlights throughout his career but one of the standout moments was a third round FA Cup clash with Liverpool.
Akinfenwa is a huge Reds fan and relished the chance to play against them while at AFC Wimbledon and even grabbed a first-half equaliser.
He admitted his thoughts then turned to a possible replay at Anfield, before Gerrard scored directly from a free-kick.
“In the whole build-up, there was a lot about me because I supported Liverpool,” Akinfenwa told talkSPORT. “It was all about how it was my team and if you can’t play for the team you support, then the next best thing is to play against them.
“I remember the first 25 minutes we were intimidated by them and didn’t play our game, let them play their football.
“Gerrard is the best player I’ve played against. I think he got bored and just scored. Played the ball across, ran in, scored and just jogged back.
“The gaffer said it was a tight pitch so just take it to them. I must have given away 16 fouls, I was running into [Martin] Skrtel.
“I remember the ball came off the bar and it was a tap in and was the first time in my career where I didn’t know what to do.
“I’d just scored against the team I loved! We did a little dance and I was thinking ‘I’m going to be going back to Anfield’. That was all that was in my head.
“Liverpool got a free-kick and as a striker I came back into the wall. I’m jogging back and Gerrard placed the free-kick.
“I kid you not, as I passed him he said: ‘Sorry, big man’. At the time I’m thinking ‘yeah, yeah, yeah’.
“He bends it over the wall and it’s 2-1. I don’t go to Anfield, I don’t like Gerrard… I’m kidding, he’s still one of my favourites.”
Akinfenwa also revealed how the Liverpool legend tried to make it up to him a little while after.
He added: “He bought me a burger in LA later down the line and said ‘big man, I’ll make this up to you’.
“I was just in awe when I watched him, he was different level.
“When you are in the lower leagues and you play against the people you watch every week and he [Gerrard] was just levels.”
The striker did manage to get a memento from that game in the form of a signed Gerrard shirt and there was absolutely no way he wasn’t getting his hands on.
Akinfenwa said: “I’d got his shirt prior. I’d played with Joe Allen at Swansea and he was at Liverpool. I sent him a message and said ‘tell Gerrard if he doesn’t give me his shirt…’
“I even told my players that I love them, but any man try to get Gerrard’s shirt after the game it is going to be problematic.
“After the game, he threw his shirt somewhere else. I said to him ‘big man, didn’t we…’ and he said ‘nah, don’t worry I’ve got your shirt’. He signed it and gave me a shirt after.
“He did the foreword in my book and I’m still humbled by that to this day.
“I read it the other day what he said, it was humbling. People see this jovial persona, but I’m honestly humbled by a lot of things that happened in my life.”
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