DAPO Afolayan says he can fulfil his ambitions next season in a Wanderers shirt.

Fulham and Cardiff City are among the clubs who have checked out the 14-goal attacker in the past few months – but Bolton insist they are not looking to sell.

Afolayan has also underlined his commitment, having won the club’s player of the year and top-scorer award, he now has his eyes fixed firmly on getting into the Championship with the Whites.

Asked if Bolton can push for a top two spot, the former West Ham man sounded confident he and the club could push on from an encouraging first season back in League One.

“I said in one of my first interviews at Bolton that absolutely everything is here,” he told The Bolton News. “It is just about getting things together on the pitch, working together, and I think we’re starting to do that.

“Promotion is exactly what our aim is. I don’t think there is anything wrong with saying that.

“I think that any club in this league should be targeting promotion – it’s what you have to do.

“We want to be playing in the Championship and the Premier League and especially for me as a player that is what I look up to and what I want to do with this club.”

Having finished the last season as one of the sides in form, the level of expectation at Bolton is bound to increase over the summer.

Afolayan hopes Wanderers are picked out as one of the one to watch.

“Of course. Everyone at the club knows what the target is, there’s a lot of pressure on it but it’s up to us,” he said. “We have to stand up to that pressure.

“We have to go away, work on our game and everyone come back better. We’ve had a good look at the league this season so it’s down to us to come next season.

“It is up to us to step up to that level. It is a challenge that I relish and I don’t shy away from a challenge, so we’ll have a good go again next season.”

Jack Iredale was confirmed as Bolton’s first summer signing on Monday despite next season’s line-up in League One still two clubs short.

That has whetted the fans’ appetite for more – and Ian Evatt is hoping to have a good portion of his business done by the time his players come back for pre-season training in the middle of next month.

Afolayan insists he is just as enthusiastic as the supporters.

“This team has been exciting since I joined,” he said. “It was one of the big reasons why I joined in the first place.

“There were players playing in the squad that I’ve looked up to growing up - Nathan Delfouneso, Alex Baptiste, Matt Gilks - all these players that I’ve known my whole life and it makes me want to join the club.

“It is up to us to get the club back to where it belongs. It’s been through some tough times but everyone can see that it is on the up.”