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Wanderers forward Dapo Afolayan is telling opponents to ‘bring on the attention’.
The in-form front man is consistently earmarked as a threat by opposing teams after a fine start to the campaign, having been fouled more times than any other player in League One this season.
But rather than shy away he insists he takes it as a compliment.
“It can be tough sometimes, I think. For me and the type of player that I am, I do need protection on the pitch from the officials and things like that, especially if teams are trying to do things to hurt me or get me off my game,” he told The Bolton News.
“But I have to think about it that there are trying to stop me because they think I’m good and it means I’m doing well.
“So in some way on the pitch, I have to take it as a compliment and keep going because if that’s what they have to resort to, then for me it means I’m doing something right.
“I’ve just got to keep doing it.”
Afolayan has made a strong start to the season and is the Whites’ top-scorer, having already found the net eight times in all competitions.
Despite his recent performances, the forward insists he is keeping his feet firmly on the ground and only focusing on the next game.
“I’m always the same. I think if you speak to anyone around the club they’ll say whether it was last season or now, I think I’m now pretty much the same as I have been,” he added.
“I try to keep myself quite level. I always say that when things are going well not to get too ahead of yourself and if things aren’t going well, then to be the same.
“It’s not the end of the world. Things will get better, so I think especially in football and being a professional footballer, you have to have that mentality.
“And I think it’s something that I’m quite good at in terms of being able to block out a lot of the noise and what’s being said, whether it’s negative or positive and just focus on the job at hand.”
Before joining Wanderers back in January, Afolayan spent time at Premier League West Ham where he shared a dressing room with the likes of Declan Rice and Michail Antonio.
However, the forward made just one first-team appearance during his time at the London Stadium, scoring in an FA Cup tie against Doncaster.
Despite a lack of opportunities, Afolayan enjoyed his time with the London club and says he learned a lot from the experience.
“I’ve got quite a lot of friends back there still and staff as well. I’ve spoken to a few over the last couple of weeks, just general catch-ups really,” he said.
“There’s people wishing me well and things like that. I went there at a time where I made a lot of good friends, and I learned a lot about the game and about myself and how to become a good professional.
“I think everything I learned there has helped me to perform the way I have this season and when I came in January.
“It’s a club I’ll always be grateful to and there’s always going to be people at the club that I’m going to keep in contact with and hopefully see soon.”
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