After the FA Cup tournament's 3rd stage matches, many football fans entered the name Adebayo Akinfenwa into the internet search system. He scored a goal against "Liverpool." And despite the fact that the "Wimbledon" team, represented by the striker, won 1:2 and did not advance to the quarter-finals, the attention to the footballer has significantly increased. A. Akinfenwa's phone doesn't stop ringing. Journalists are calling him not only from England. And he has a lot to tell. Lithuania is also part of the striker's story. He played in the Klaipeda "Atlantas" team from 2001 to 2003. In 41 matches, he scored 33 goals, but he didn't take the best memories from the port city. A. Akinfenwa was born in East London, his parents are from Nigeria. Together with two brothers, he was raised strictly, and thanks to his mother, he became a devoted Christian. However, neither religion nor strict upbringing helped him avoid temptations in a dangerous neighborhood where he lived. Troubles lurked everywhere. Choose the wrong company of friends and soon find yourself in prison for theft or even a more serious crime. It seemed that such a fate awaited A. Akinfenwa. He was a talented footballer, but lacked attention. At that time, a Lithuanian football agent who was married to a Lithuanian offered him to go for a trial in Lithuania for two weeks. It seems that the young striker needed that. Leaving a good impression, he received an offer to sign a three-year contract. The agent hoped that the interest from Lithuania would awaken other English clubs. Moreover, the footballer himself didn't have the desire to stay in Lithuania. However, after two months, Lithuania was still his only choice. So he put on the "Atlantas" shirt. He knew nothing about Lithuania and what awaited him. Only upon arriving here, A. Akinfenwa understood that he would be one of the first black players in the league. During the first training sessions for the preparation season, he had to deal with intolerance towards people of another race. A group of "Atlantas" fans began to chant: "Zigga Zigga Zigga let's kill the black niger." Soon the foreign player realized that life in a foreign country could be harsh. "If I knew what awaited me, I probably wouldn't have gone. But being there, I couldn't let myself be expelled," said the former "Atlantas" player. Probably only a person whose life was toughened like A. Akinfenwa, who heard insults all his life, incidents like these can inspire him to focus even more on football. His life then consisted of trips to the stadium and home. He couldn't hang out with bad company because there simply wasn't such company that he could be with. Sometimes he went to the cinema, but even that was strange. He was one of the few black people living in Klaipeda. Then even mundane, simple things become complicated. Once in a store, a teenage girl ran up to him and shouted, "White power!" The footballer did not know how to react. He was at a loss. "I thought it was a joke. In London, people don't behave disrespectfully towards someone of my complexion," the striker remembered. In Lithuania, his complexion wasn't important. Skin color was important. However, gradually A. Akinfenwa gained recognition. But only because he pleased the fans with his performance on the field. He helped "Atlantas" in the UEFA Cup (now Europa League). His goal secured a 1:0 victory in the Lithuanian Cup final in 2001. Since then, he became a local star. Sometimes he didn't even have to pay for food or drinks. He doesn't look back, but thinks that he slightly changed the attitude of Lithuanians towards people of other races. "I haven't changed, my skin color hasn't changed. People accepted me because I helped the team win. If I hadn't scored goals, their attitude wouldn't have changed. Now I think that if I could deal with that, I can overcome any problems," says the striker. Looking back on the two years spent in Lithuania, he sees it as a time that saved his career and life. Many of his friends who remained in the East London streets are now either dead or in prison. "This is an inseparable part of my football history," A. Akinfenwa said in conclusion speaking about Lithuania.
lrytas.lt
