Former Wanderers favourite Dapo Afolayan fired St Pauli to promotion to the Bundesliga with a brace against Osnabruck.
The German club only needed a point to ensure they would finish in the automatic promotion spots but got all three following a 3-0 victory at the Millerntor Stadium. Afolayan struck either side of half time and also set up Marcel Hartel with a cross for the third goal.
St Pauli will now get the chance to test themselves against the likes of Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen next term.
Afolayan has been an important figure over the past season, making 33 appearances in all competitions and scoring 10 times.
The 26-year-old joined St Pauli in January 2023 after impressing for the Whites, initially joining on loan from West Ham before making the move permanent the following summer.
Afolayan was crowned Bolton’s Player of the Year in the 2021/22 campaign after finding the net 14 times.
Last month, Ian Evatt confirmed Wanderers would get a financial boost if St Pauli managed to get over the line in their promotion push.
“I spoke to him a couple of weeks ago and I’m actually going to go out and see him some time in May,” Evatt told The Bolton News.
“I am so happy for him, he’s a brilliant young man who did fantastically well for us, and he could potentially end the season being a Bundesliga player which is one of the top leagues in Europe.
“He deserves it, and I am really proud of him. We have a good relationship, and I am looking forward to catching up with him.”
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