Super Eagles forward, Tolu Arokodare, has admitted that adapting to life in the Premier League has been tougher than he expected.
Arokodare moved to Wolverhampton Wanderers from Belgian outfit KRC Genk last summer after an impressive goal-scoring campaign in Belgium. However, instead of competing at the top end of the table, he has found himself battling relegation.
Wolves are currently rooted to the bottom of the league standings with 16 points from 30 games, securing only three victories so far this season — including a 2-1 triumph over Liverpool FC on Tuesday night, March 3.
In an interview with Het Nieuwsblad, the 23-year-old spoke candidly about the difficulty of the transition.
“The two leagues are similar — physical, intense, and fast-paced. But in the Premier League, you must put in twice the effort,” he said.
“It hasn’t been easy, I’ll admit. My early games were difficult. It was even more demanding than I expected. I’ve improved since then, but I’m still not at the level I want to reach.”
Having arrived in England after challenging for the title with Genk, Arokodare now faces a different kind of fight.
“I knew I wasn’t coming here for a holiday; I knew I would have to battle. That hasn’t changed. I was fighting for the title with Genk, and now I’m fighting for survival with Wolves,” he added.
Goals, which once came regularly, have been hard to come by. After finishing among Belgium’s top scorers last season, the striker has scored just twice in 25 Premier League appearances ahead of Tuesday’s clash with Liverpool.
“I want to grow from this experience and come back stronger,” he said. “But of course, it’s difficult going from being the top scorer last season to not even nearing double digits now.”