Ex-Bolton Wanderers man has made promising start at St Pauli

Afolayan was the Whites’ top scorer last term, finding the net 14 times in 51 appearances in all competitions.

But Ian Evatt struggled to get the best out of the attacker since changing his system, and the club decided to accept St Pauli’s bid, believed to be in the region of £500,000, in January.

Afolayan has made a promising start in Bundesliga 2, scoring in the recent wins against Greuther Furth and SV Sandhausen.

The 25-year-old believes he is a natural fit for St Pauli’s style of play as the club battles for promotion to the top tier of German football.

"I've not been here very long, but I feel really settled in,” he told the club’s website. “I think you can see that by the way I'm playing on the pitch.

“There's still a lot more to come from me but I think I'm adapting well and getting used to things.

“I like the way we play under Fabian [Hürzeler]. It suits my way of playing and I think he can help me improve my game."

St Pauli currently sit fifth in the table and have won 12 of their last 13 matches as they aim to close the gap to the top two.

When asked about his first goal for the club, a clinical volley against Greuther Furth, Afolayan added: “When the ball came in, I attacked it and tried to get my shot on target.

“I struck it quite well, and for me in those areas it's all about making a good contact and finding the corner.

“I was really happy to get my first goal. It was an incredible feeling. Since I started here a goal was the only thing missing really.”

St Pauli are back in league action on Saturday, April 1 when they welcome 14th-place Jahn Regensburg to the Millerntor-Stadion.

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