'Will be the goal' - Dapo Afolayan outlines Bolton Wanderers exciting aim for next season
Dapo Afolayan knows how big a challenge League One will pose for Bolton Wanderers next season with division potentially increasing in difficulty but is adamant the squad are focused on reaching the Championship.
Wanderers finished ninth in the third tier of English football this campaign with a total of 73 points, a fine achievement for a newly promoted side.
A total of 73 points would in most seasons be enough to have the Whites in and around the top six, but the high standards in League One this campaign meant that Bolton were 10 points behind sixth placed Wycombe Wanderers.
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The third tier of English football has been full of big clubs this season with the likes of Sheffield Wednesday, Sunderland, Portsmouth, Ipswich Town, Wigan Athletic, Charlton Athletic and Rotherham United in the division.
Though the Millers and Latics will be in the Championship next campaign, Derby County, Peterborough United and Barnsley will drop down to make it a highly competitive division.
But Afolayan believes Wanderers are capable of being one of the three sides going up in the 2022/23 season and the top scorer and player of the season is keen to come back and be better next campaign.
And he believes his know how on the pitch has been the aspect of his game which has changed the most as he feels he is pinpointing the moments to make his mark on an encounter better, as he expects the rough treatment he gets from opposition teams to continue and wants referees to clamp down on it sooner before booking players.
He said: "This club speaks for itself, it should always be going for promotion. But it won’t be easy, it will be just