Adebayo Akinfenwa Quotes

At the academy the coaches would show us Arsenal games on TV and my idol was Thierry Henry. He inspired me. That's why I became an Arsenal fan.

I'm just a lad playing for Liverpool, trying to achieve his dream, so to see a lad with my name on his shirt - when I grew up having the names of other players on my shirt - it meant a lot.

I have always kept in mind the advice of Ronaldinho, and he spoke wonders of Barcelona and the city, which he told me is marvellous.

As a kid, I looked up to Gazza, and to Wayne Rooney because he came through at Everton. Zidane has been one of my favourite players and I was always watching videos of him.

Obviously, Thierry Henry is someone I have looked up to ever since I started playing football.

Beckham was a great inspiration to me growing up.

Growing up, John Terry was my obvious idol. I based my whole game on him.

I remember how inspiring it was to meet players like Bobby Charlton or Bryan Robson when I was a kid. I still remember Clive Allen showing up when I received a trophy for my Sunday league team.

I used to imagine what it would be like to do what Jim Brown was doing. I used to imagine what it would be like to be like a Tony Dorsett. I used to imagine what it would be like to be like a Walter Payton. I was imagining Emmitt Smith doing exactly what they were doing.

Everyone knows what a great player, as well as a person, David Beckham is. I am just hoping that I can learn from him. I know if I want to go far in my football career I have to do as well as him.

Once I started playing as a striker, I'd say I looked up to Julie Fleeting and Thierry Henry.

I really like Ronaldinho. He is the player I have watched the most and tried to copy the most, but I am still learning.

I've always loved the club. Kaka was my role model when I was young, and my aim now is to go down in Milan history.

There are a lot of players that I wanted to play with, but I always wanted to play with Ronaldinho. He's been always my idol, I am a fan of his.

Zico was my idol. He was a very good player from Flamengo, and I was a Flamengo supporter from Rio de Janeiro. I was always looking for him and saying I want to be like him. He's my big hero.

I wanted to be Ronaldinho. I studied him a lot. He was my hero.

I always liked No. 10 because I loved Zidane. He was my role model. I always wanted to play like him.

Growing up, you watch players like Ronaldinho playing in World Cups, doing the business, and you idolise these people.

The player I look up to is Rio Ferdinand. I have always played at the back, and I've always tried to base my game on his.

In my career, Diego Maradona had the biggest influence on me.

Of course, my father was a soccer player. He used to play very good. Then, when I was young, eight or nine years old, ten years old, I just want to be like my father.

Coming up as a kid, I played middle linebacker and I was very bow-legged, and I wanted to be like the legendary Dick Butkus.

Zidane is a Real Madrid legend. He teaches us things in every training session - even just by playing with us.

For young people who are football players, Ronaldo should be the best in the world. He is the best example to look at because he trains to the fullest and has talent.

Neymar has been an idol of mine since childhood. I've always tried to mirror myself in the way he plays, and I've also tried imitating some of his haircuts.