Afolayan joins Oldham Athletic on loan

Oladapo Afolayan

 

West Ham United striker OIadapo Afolayan has joined EFL League Two club Oldham Athletic on loan until the end of the season.

The 20-year-old, who is approaching a return to action after being out injured since September last year, will hope to boost the Latics’ chances of making a late-season run for the Play-Offs. Oldham sit 14th in the table, but are just eight points behind Exeter City in seventh.

Afolayan featured in the U23s’ opening four Premier League 2 Division 1 fixtures of the season, scoring in the 6-4 home defeat by Manchester City in August, before being ruled out.

Prior to that, the forward joined the Hammers from non-league Solihull Moors in January 2018, having scored eleven goals for the National League club in the first half of last season.

Afolayan started his career by spending six years in the Chelsea Academy, playing alongside future England internationals Tammy Abraham and Dominic Solanke and Nigeria full-back Ola Aina.

He moved to Canada with his family at the age of 15, where he trained with FC Toronto and played for the MLS club's reserve team, before returning to England and enrolling in a civil engineering course at Loughborough University, for whom he also played football in the Midland League.

After a prolific year with Solihull Moors, he moved to London Stadium a year ago.

West Ham United wish Oladapo every success during his loan spell at Boundary Park.