DAPO Afolayan says he is looking forward to the challenge of playing his football in Germany.

The 25-year-old has completed a move to St Pauli for a reported fee of £500,000, ending a two-year association with Wanderers which saw him make 101 appearances and score 21 goals.

Afolayan was at last Saturday’s game against Portsmouth but tied up the loose ends of his contract over the last few days and is now eager to help his new club pull away from the relegation zone in Bundesliga 2.

"I'm happy to play for St. Pauli from now on,” he told the club’s official website. “I think the team's style of play suits me. The talks with club officials also convinced me that the club attach great importance to developing their players. I'm looking forward to my new team, a new league and the new challenge."

St Pauli director of sport, Andreas Bornemann believes the former West Ham man will add something different to the club’s attack.

He said: “Oladapo fits our requirements profile very well and with his versatility will bring additional facets to our attacking game. He has already made lots of appearances in the professional game and always adapted to the next level. We're delighted to have convinced him to join us."

Head coach Fabian Hürzeler, who stepped up from the assistant’s role during the Winter Break has been impressed with what he has seen of Afolayan so far.

"We're gaining a very ambitious player in Oladapo,” he said. “With his dynamism and dribbling ability, he has qualities in attacking duels but is also assured on the ball and in his passing. It's now a question of making sure he settles in quickly and brings his strengths to bear on the pitch.

St Pauli play a warm-up game against Danish side FC Midtjylland on Saturday and speaking at his pre-match press conference, Hürzeler added: "Dapo has made a good impression and is fit, but it's not certain yet whether he'll play on Saturday and, if so, how long. He'll add a lot of flexibility in attack.

"He has a good passing technique and is very good at dribbling. He's very ambitious and always wants to improve."

 

Ian Evatt also posted a parting message for Afolayan on Wanderers’ official website, thanking him for a successful two years with the club.

“As a club we’d like to say ‘thank-you’ to Dapo for his contribution during his time here," said the Bolton boss.

“He played a big part in our climb back up the league placings and created a lot of special memories.

“We gave him a platform to forge a successful career in a spell that worked really well for both parties.

“He is an ambitious young man and we wish him well in the next stage of that career in European football, while we continue to evolve and move forward as a team and a club with everything we do geared towards taking this club onwards and upwards."