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Oladapo Afolayan: I’ve worked my socks off and I’m just happy it’s paid off
A goal on his West Ham United debut was fitting reward for all the sacrifices and difficult decisions Oladapo Afolayan and his family have made to give him the best possible chance at forging a successful career.
At 14, Afolayan turned down a contract with Chelsea to concentrate on studying for his GCSEs. A year later, he then moved to Canada with his family and trained with Toronto FC, before returning to England to embark on civil engineering degree at Loughborough University.
His performances for the illustrious university’s football team attracted interest from professional clubs, but he instead opted to join National League part-timers Solihull Moors to enable him to continue with his studies.
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Alan Irvine: We were professional right from the start
West Ham United assistant boss Alan Irvine was thoroughly satisfied with his team s performance in defeating Doncaster Rovers 4-0 on Saturday afternoon.
The Hammers made short work of their League One opponents, opening the scoring inside the first two minutes through Pablo Fornals, before going on to notch twice either side of the break.
With Doncaster having come into the contest in excellent form, sitting fourth in the third tier, Irvine knew his team would have to be focused on the job, so he was delighted with the attitude they displayed.
View from the opposition: Doncaster Rovers
ADVER Sport spoke to Doncaster Free Press Liam Hoden to get the inside scoop on Swindon Town s next opponents, Doncaster Rovers.
AS: Ben Whiteman left the club this week – how big a blow is that and how big is the hole left in midfield?
LH: It is a massive blow, but it is one that everyone has been expecting to suffer for the last three or four transfer windows. It has been very surprising that it s not happened sooner. Over the couple of seasons he s developed into the best midfielder in League One, and arguably the best player all round. This season in particular he s definitely looked like he was playing a level below his ability and at the age of 24, it would not be surprising to see him rise further in the future.