Football General Manager
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- Akinfenwa picks football’s strongest
- Hulk, Campbell & Drogba also snubbed
- Traore makes his final two
When hosting BALLGM’s brand new Beast Mode On Podcast, Akinfenwa picked between eight players for the strongest man in football title, including himself. In the first round of the game, Akinfenwa started by choosing AC Milan icon Ibrahimovic over ex-Porto star Hulk, and Fulham winger Traore ahead of Chelsea legend Didier Drogba. He then opted for former Arsenal and Tottenham defender Sol Campbell over another Chelsea cult hero in Branislav Ivanovic, before backing himself ahead of Napoli striker Romelu Lukaku.
In the semi-finals, Akinfenwa decided to put Traore through at the expense of Ibrahimovic, and again chose himself in a battle with Campbell. That left Akinfenwa mulling who is the strongest man between him and Traore, and his final verdict was typically hilarious.
Akinfenwa said: “You know what, I’m gonna have to be honest, because I actually did a shoot with Traore. You know what I’m saying? But Akinfenwa. There’s only one Beast here.”
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Akinfenwa retired from football in May 2022 at the ripe old age of 40, but Traore is still going strong at 29 in the Premier League with Fulham. Much like Akinfenwa, the former Barcelona attacker’s impressive muscular build differs from the leaner appearance of a typical modern-day footballer, but it has not adversely affected his speed.
Indeed, Traore once held the record for the fastest recorded speed in the Premier League at 36.64 km/h. He showed little sign of slowing down last season, with that electrifying pace helping him to burst into the final third and post nine goal contributions in 36 appearances for Fulham.
