Adebayo Akinfenwa believes God is with him as he looks to avoid the pain of a third relegation.

The Gillingham striker goes to church every Sunday and has made no secret of his faith. He’s a fun guy with more than 75,000 followers on twitter but there’s also a serious side to Akinfenwa.

He said: “I do believe football and the so-called fame is temporary. Everyone knows I try and be as upfront and sincere as possible. I don’t delude myself with all the attention. Sometimes it is a bit overwhelming but I’m just me.

“My faith is permanent, it’s for life. Everything I achieve in life I put it down to the Almighty. Good, bad or indifferent, it was meant to happen.

“I truly believe my family and my faith keep me grounded. I don’t like to preach because it’s my understanding. I have an understanding with God. I’m far from a saint but it is my faith that ultimately I come back to and it works for me.

“Whatever works for the individual, so be it. I haven’t played in the Premier League but I get told I’m the most known player outside the Prem and I put it down to God.”

Akinfenwa has been relegated with Northampton and Torquay on the final day of the season. The 31-year-old is desperate to help Gillingham survive in League 1 and avoid an unwanted hat-trick.

He said: “If I compare this squad with the squads who got relegated, I think this is a much better squad. We’ve got a good balance of experience and youth, good energy and we’ve got goals.

“We’ve also got the right man to steer us clear of relegation, so with all that, we’re confident."