Nigeria striker Tolu Arokodare says he is “OK” with his current bench role at Wolverhampton Wanderers as he continues to adapt to Premier League football.
The 25-year-old joined Wolves from Genk without a full pre-season and has spent much of the campaign coming on as a substitute. He says early discussions with then-manager Viktor Pereira helped him understand the physical and tactical demands he would face in England.
Arokodare admits the transition has been tougher than expected but insists he is focused on steady progress rather than immediate starts.
Since Rob Edwards replaced Viktor Pereira, the forward has continued to receive detailed guidance on his development. He says the manager has clearly outlined areas of improvement and praised the “straightforward” communication.
“If I have to stay out of the team and learn, I am OK with it,” he said.
Tolu Arokodare celebrating with his teammates. Photo Credit: Imago
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“I’m not going to say it could turn but I’m saying it will get better,” said Arokodare, who has scored twice for Wolves, both in the Carabao Cup, this season.
“It’s a long season, 12 games have gone, we haven’t get the results we wanted but we can’t hold onto that. We have to focus on the next ones. There is the belief – we cannot lose hope now. We cannot doubt ourselves.
“We have to stick together, stay focused and confident and go into every game and try to win it.”
Photo Credit: Getty Images
New head coach Rob Edwards lost his first game in charge after Crystal Palace earned a deserved 2-0 victory at Molineux on Saturday.
It left Wolves bottom, winless from their opening 12 games and nine points from safety, eight behind Burnley in 19th – ahead of Sunday’s trip to Aston Villa.
Arokodare has already scored twice for the Super Eagles and is expected to be in contention for Eric Chelle’s provisional AFCON 2025 squad.
