Who is Oladapo Afolayan? | OneFootball

Oladapo Afolayan: Who is the English striker helping St. Pauli's push for Bundesliga survival?

Having developed at West Ham and Bolton, speedy English attacker Oladapo Afolayan has been enjoying his time at St. Pauli of late. bundesliga.com outlines all you need to know about the exciting Englishman...

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Stats correct as of 6 April 2024

Oladapo Afolayan

Age: 27 (born 11 September 1997)Club: St. PauliPosition: Forward (centre-forward or winger)Country: England

Key stats

'Dapo' Afolayan, as he is known, is a Londoner by birth and spent his footballing education at some of the top addresses in the English capital. Chelsea were the first from the age of nine, but London was no longer his stomping ground by the age of 16 as his family moved to Canada. Afolayan's talent was such that he soon signed for MLS side Toronto FC, playing for their third team before he returned to the UK two years later.

Watch: Afolayan's first goal for St. Pauli

Solihull Moors of the English non-leagues were the first senior outfit Afolayan would represent, and 15 goals at the club over a year aroused the interest of another big name from London. West Ham United swooped to sign the attacker, then aged 20, in February 2018.

While the riches of talent at the Premier League side would make a breakthrough difficult at West Ham, Afolayan did get a chance to play for them thanks to his persistence. After loan spells in the English lower leagues at Oldham Athletic and Mansfield Town, he played and scored for West Ham in an FA Cup match against Doncaster Rovers in January 2021.

A move to Bolton Wanderers, then in the fourth tier of English football, the following month proved the spark to finally ignite his career. After helping Bolton gain promotion within months, Afolayan scored 14 goals in 2021/22 in League One - as he became the club's top scorer and Player of the Year.

Watch: Afolayan scores a stunning Bundesliga equaliser against Gladbach

Cult Hamburg club St. Pauli would be Afolayan's next destination in January 2023. His relentless attacking appetite quickly earned him a place in the fans' favour. His nine goals and three assists in the Boys in Brown's promotion push aided in Pauli's surge to the second-division championship. 'Dapo' quickly took to life in the top division, scoring and assisting in a stunning 3-0 win away against Freiburg on Matchday 5 of the current campaign.

The 27-year-old scored in another victory against Hoffenheim, before serving up a belter later in the season to secure a huge point for Pauli in their game against Borussia Mönchengladbach.

Plays a bit like: Jay-Jay Okocha

Afolayan may not quite be at the mesmerising level of the legendary former Eintracht Frankfurt trickster, but his form for Bolton gave their fans plenty of cheer in the lower leagues and rekindled fond memories of the Nigerian's spell at their club. Afolayan was only too pleased to receive comparisons - with Nigerian descent making him eligible to represent the Super Eagles as well as England - and once performed Okocha's signature goal celebration after scoring a goal for Bolton against AFC Wimbledon.

Did you know?

Education was always important in Afolayan's development as a youth player, and it even had a major influence on his path in football. He was offered a place at Yale University in the US, but turned it down in favour of the chance to study civil engineering at Loughborough University in the UK. He joined the university's football team, but was only invited to play for their third team initially after a mass trial. He soon progressed to the first team and completed his degree while playing for Solihull Moors.

What they're saying

"It was obviously a nice moment for me, but it’s more about the team and staying in the Bundesliga.” - Afolayan reacts to scoring a wonderful equaliser against Gladbach on Matchday 28.

"Dapo brings flexibility into our attack. He dribbles well, often tries to get one-on-one, has really good passing, he can cross well and has very good timing. He is very sturdy and uses his body well." - Former St. Pauli coach Fabian Hürzeler, after signing Afolayan in January 2023

"He played a big part in our climb back up the league placings and created a lot of special memories. He is an ambitious young man and we wish him well in the next stage of that career in European football." - Ian Evatt, Bolton coach after Afolayan's departure was confirmed

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