Femi Akinwande

Biography

Our second signing in summer 2020, striker Femi Akinwande came to us from Billericay Town and off the back of a decent season in front of goal. Turning out for both the Blues and Braintree Town during the 2019-20 campaign, the lad scored 12 times. He arrived at the same time as Inih Offiong; the pair looking as if they would be the guys to lead Boro’s attack going into the 2020-1 season. And, oh, how we needed strikers who could score…

Alex Revell signed Akinwande after “impressing with his pace, power and trickery“. While the move was a step up for the lad, our record of offering a place for fresh talent to flourish ain’t to be sniffed at. Moro, Newts, Hayles and Matty Godden did it. So, why not Akinwande too? First, we’ll let him get his feet under the desk before we start laying on all the hopes, dreams and expectations. But there’s no doubt he had the potential to thrive.

Femi Akinwande: Before Boro’

Akinwande’s football odyssey started when he was halfway through primary school; signing for Millwall at the age of seven. He was a member of their academy system for a total of nine years before the Lions let him go. Their loss was Dartford’s gain in summer 2013, with the forward spending two years at the Conference Premier side.

But first team opportunities weren’t exactly throwing themselves at him.

After a couple of loan spells away from the Darts, Akinwande spent time with Fisher and Maldon & Tiptree in 2015. The rate at which he found the net at both clubs was enough to catch the gaze of Colchester United; the Us offering him a trial with their youth academy in late 2015. At this point, he was still only 19 years old. He quickly turned pro with them and made his first team debut in March 2016.

More time out on loan would follow, however. Bishop’s Stortford, Maldon & Tiptree (again) and East Thurrock United all proved happy hunting grounds. And it was with the latter that he’d move to on a permanent deal in 2017; Colchester not offering him a new deal.

Soon after his permanent switch to East Thurrock, the forward was on the move again; this time onto Concord Rangers. After finding the net fairly regularly again there, Braintree came in for him during summer 2019. But, before the year was out, Akinwande swapped one part of Essex for another when signing for Billericay Town. And, once more, made scoring a habit.