Former Barnet captain Charlie MacDonald does not believe the Bees would be back in the Football League were it not for the ‘monster’ that is John Akinde.

After a modest start last season the former Portsmouth and Bristol City hitman found his stride and how.

An astonishing record of 31 Conference goals eclipsed Gary Bull's record as Barnet’s all-time leading marksman in the fifth tier and won Akinde the division’s Golden Boot for his troubles.

Now MacDonald, who partnered the hulking number nine for much of the season, says Barnet quite simply would not be where they are now were it not for Akinde.

The striker told the Times Series: “You have to fear for defenders when they let that ball bounce because if he gets his arm across it is 1-0. And that happened so many times.

“He won a hell of a lot of penalties with his go-go-gadget leg. Without John Akinde the club would not be where they are right now,” stated MacDonald. “If you speak to him he will probably say he should have scored more. That season has set him up to go and do it in the Football League.

“At times you would think he was not going to get there and he would just get that toe to it. It must be so frustrating because he won certain balls which were 60:40 in the opposition’s favour. He is going to put his body on the line when he was taking them, wasn’t he?”

The 34-year-old added: “Big John is a monster. It is funny with John, he is not a trainer. So when we train you look at him and think going into games he has been awful but he has been a player who turned up for us all year in games.

“He is just one of those laid-back, chilled out characters who saves it all for a Saturday or Tuesday night. You don’t get paid to train, you get paid to play, and he is one of those characters who epitomises that.”

It could all have been so different for the former Charlton Athletic striker, who revealed he turned down League Two football to join Martin Allen's side last summer.

"I had come to Barnet for one reason: to win the league," explained MacDonald.

"I had an offer on the table from Oxford United which did not go through because Gary Waddock got the sack. I had my medical and the offer was on the table.

"Would I have been happy at Oxford? I am not sure because it would have been a lot of travelling from London to get in," admitted the striker.

MacDonald has now signed a one-year deal with National League new-boys Boreham Wood since leaving Barnet at the end of last season. And looking ahead to the new campaign, he believes the Bees should have few problems staying up, even if the play-offs could be a stretch.

He mused: “I am sure they will do ok.

"It will be difficult but they have a good group of boys and it is just a case of keeping players happy when you have a bigger squad.

“I think they will do ok, I am not sure what the aim is but I think the play-offs may be a little bit out of reach but you never know.

“If they have a good start it sets you up and coming off the back of winning the league you always go into the season with that winning mentality. If you have a group of winners in the team then you are halfway there already.”