Dapo Afolayan has revealed that the influence of Bolton Wanderers manager Ian Evatt was a significant factor in turning his loan spell into a permanent move at the University of Bolton Stadium.
The attacker declined opportunities elsewhere to pen a three-year deal with Wanderers and commit his immediate future to the North West.
He told bwfc.co.uk: “He’s massive. He’s really good at demanding the right things from us and making sure we’re working hard as a front four but also giving us the freedom to express ourselves in the final third and enjoy playing good football.”
Having originally arrived on loan from West Ham during the January transfer window, the Londoner featured in 21 games as he helped Wanderers secure automatic promotion on the final day of the season – scoring in the 4-1 victory at Crawley Town.
Although content with helping his side bounce straight back into Sky Bet League One, Afolayan is confident Wanderers will build on their impressive performances last season and take them into the new campaign.
He added: “It is good enough getting promotion this season but if we don’t keep building on that and improving, it isn’t really worth much.
“This is what we need to do as a group, come back stronger in the off season and go again.
“As a team we are going to push on and play with freedom and not be afraid of anyone. There will be teams who are scared to come and play us at our stadium because it’s quite daunting.”
Dapo has signed up for next season and so can you. Over 6,000 Wanderers season ticket holders have already signed up for our Sky Bet League One campaign. Renew before Sunday and you will pay less than you did for the 2020/21 campaign. Click here for more information and renew today.