Monday 5 January 2015 18:53, UK
Adebayo Akinfenwa, 'the strongest man in football', is looking forward to facing the club he supported as a boy when AFC Wimbledon entertain Liverpool in Monday’s FA Cup third round tie in Kingston.
Akinfenwa has already set his sights on swapping shirts with idol Steven Gerrard after the match, joking his team-mates "are going to have a problem" if they try to sneak in before him.
The striker, nicknamed 'The Beast', has something of a cult following. There are more than 16,000 players in the latest addition edition of the FIFA computer gaming series – and Akinfenwa is rated strongest of the lot.
League Two Wimbledon have made giant strides since reforming in 2002 and lifelong Liverpool fan Akinfenwa is counting down the hours to one of the biggest days of his life.
I was doing a dance in my living room when I saw the draw.
Akinfenwa, who has played for Leyton Orient, Rushden & Diamonds, Doncaster Rovers, Torquay United, Swansea City, Millwall, Northampton Town and Gillingham during his career, said: "It's the biggest game, there is no bigger. There is nothing coming close.
"I am a Liverpool supporter so even if I played in the Champions League final, this would be the biggest game because I am a Liverpool supporter.
"I am looking forward to it – I was doing a dance in my living room when I saw the draw.
"As a Liverpool supporter, the three best feelings are: to play for the team, to play against the team and score against them.
“And I have the opportunity to do two out of three and I hope I achieve them."
Akinfenwa, who weighs-in at 16 stone and can bench press 180kg, hopes that Liverpool will field their strongest team, saying: "I want to play against the best so I want to go toe-to-toe with Martin Skrtel, Mamadou Sakho, Dejan Lovren and Kolo Toure.
"They are Premier League players and you want to be able to look back and say: 'I pitted myself against the best and handled myself well'.
"If there's a 50-50, hopefully I will come out on top. I would back myself 100 per-cent."
