Blackburn Rovers winger Dapo Afolayan says he’s finally settled and firing ahead of the new EFL Championship season, and he still hasn’t given up on one day pulling on a Super Eagles shirt.
Want our football coverage to show up first?
Add FootballInNigeria as a preferred source and our stories get a "Preferred" badge in your Google Top Stories, AI Overviews, and AI Mode results.
Blackburn Rovers winger Dapo Afolayan says he’s fully fit and ready for a fresh start heading into the 2026/27 EFL Championship season, after a stop-start opening spell at Ewood Park following his January 2026 move from FC St. Pauli.
Speaking to Rovers TV, Afolayan explained why pre-season matches matter so much to a squad trying to build momentum. “We’re really looking forward to it. It’s important for us as a team, after a good preseason, to have a competitive game, because they bring the best out of all of us and get us going,” he said. “The first few weeks of pre-season are always good to get in the building and see everyone again.”
He was equally direct about his own condition heading into the campaign. “I feel good. I’ve had a good preseason and worked hard in the offseason to get to a level off the back of last term, and I’m ready for the new season,” Afolayan said, adding that he’s aiming to secure regular starts after featuring just eight times in the second half of last season.
Part of that optimism comes from a tactical setup under manager Tony Mowbray that he feels suits his game better than what came before. Fans following Blackburn’s new season can check Bet9ja’s current promo code ahead of the EFL Championship’s opening weeks.
Afolayan’s route to English football’s second tier has been anything but conventional. He began in Chelsea’s academy in London before his family relocated to Canada, where he played for Toronto FC’s third team, and worked his way back through non-league football at Loughborough University and Solihull Moors before earning a move to West Ham United.
His breakthrough eventually came at Bolton Wanderers, where he was voted the club’s Player of the Year by supporters after helping them win promotion through the League One play offs. From there, he moved to St. Pauli in Germany, where he played a key role in the Hamburg club’s promotion to the Bundesliga, scoring nine goals during that title winning campaign. New Bet9ja users following Nigerian-eligible talent in Europe can check how to get the Bet9ja promotion code before the new season kicks off.
What makes Afolayan particularly interesting to Nigerian football fans is a nationality question that remains unresolved. Born in London to Nigerian parents, he holds dual eligibility and has only ever represented England at C-team level, a non-FIFA representative side that does not tie a player to a senior national team.
That means the door to the Super Eagles remains fully open, and Afolayan has previously made clear he’d like to walk through it. Speaking to Bundesliga.com during his time in Germany, he said he wants to play international football and specifically named a desire to represent Nigeria at a future FIFA World Cup, so long as his club form continues to hold up. Punters following heritage prospects who could boost the Super Eagles can check Bet9ja’s YOHAIG code as the new season gets underway.
For now, his focus is squarely on nailing down a regular starting spot at Blackburn. But with Nigeria’s recent World Cup absences putting extra scrutiny on the pool of eligible talent scattered across Europe, a fit and firing Afolayan is exactly the kind of player NFF scouts would do well to keep tabs on this season.
📌 Did You Know?
- Afolayan was born in Harrow, London, and holds dual nationality with Nigeria through his parents.
- He briefly left Chelsea’s academy to focus on his GCSEs before restarting his career through non-league and Canadian football.
- He helped St. Pauli win promotion to the Bundesliga in the 2023/24 season, ending their 11-year absence from Germany’s top flight.
- Afolayan was named Bolton Wanderers’ Player of the Year by supporters after their League One play-off promotion in 2021/22.
- His only representative honours to date have come with England’s C team, a non-FIFA side that does not affect his eligibility to switch to Nigeria.
- He has publicly stated his ambition to play for Nigeria at a future FIFA World Cup.
- Afolayan signed for Blackburn Rovers from St. Pauli in January 2026, returning to English football after three years in Germany.
