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Dapo Afolayan wants to keep Wanderers’ fans on the edge of their seats this season.
The winger turned in a stellar display against Blackburn Rovers on Saturday as supporters came back to the University of Bolton Stadium for the first time in 518 days.
Excited by the prospect of playing in front of packed terraces in League One – Afolayan has promised to make sure the Whites faithful get maximum bang for their buck.
“At the end of the day we’re entertainers,” he told The Bolton News. “People pay good money to come and be entertained, especially from someone in my position.
“So the way I play, something I want to do it put smiles on people’s faces.
“It is something I pride myself on. I know the players who have come before me at Bolton and the calibre they had, so hopefully I can follow in their footsteps.”
Afolayan was lovingly compared to the legendary Jay Jay Okocha for some of the silky skills he produced in the promotion season whilst on loan from West Ham United. And after making the move permanent this summer he is revelling in the opportunity to join the Bolton alumni.
“Even being from London, you know a lot about Bolton Wanderers growing up,” he said. “I have always seen the way the club has played and there have always been players who entertain. To be able to come here and express myself is a blessing.”
After moving north and setting down permanent roots, Afolayan is even happy to call himself a northerner!
“I don’t think I’ll be losing the accent but my girlfriend is from up north, so I think she’s happier,” he laughed. “It is nice to be a part of this club. Since I joined I had it in the back of my mind that I could make it permanent.
“The community, the fans and the staff in the building have made me feel welcome since day one so it was always an easy decision for me.”
Wanderers maintained an unbeaten pre-season with a 2-2 draw against Rovers with Afolayan and George Johnston getting on the scoresheet.
The performance was an encouraging one, comparing favourably with the 1-0 win against Preston North End. And as focus now shifts towards the season opener against MK Dons, Afolayan believes the team is shaping up well.
“Personally, since I came here I have always thought we were a very good team,” he said. “The quality of the league is high but so is the quality in our squad. I do think we’ll be able to compete in every game.
“We have shown against two Championship sides in pre-season that we were the better team for the majority of each game. There are things to improve on but we will go into the season looking to compete.
“I am feeling really good. I think the team is coming together well and we have got some good players in the building. I think the fans can see that.”
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