Benik Afobe has been a roaring success since joining Wolverhampton Wanderers in January and he says it’s all down to a change in his mentality since leaving Arsenal.

Afobe first joined the Arsenal Academy at the tender age of six and later signed his first contract with the Gunners in 2010.

However, the striker spent the next four years hovering around the fringes and being loaned out time and time again. He saw out loan spells at Hudderfield Town, Reading, Bolton Wanderers, Millwall, Sheffield Wednesday and Milton Keynes Dons before finally being sold to Wolves.

Benik Afobe signs for Wolves
(Photo via Wolves.co.uk)

Since leaving and thereby solidifying a space in Wolves’ first team, the 22-year-old has gone from strength-to-strength and netted 12 goals since joining.

The striker attributes this recent form in front of goal to not only playing week-in, week-out, but to also changing his mentality on the pitch. Speaking of his new found confidence to the Express he said, “I had self belief [at Arsenal] but when you play week in, week out you’re going to get more confidence – it’s a different type of confidence – it’s one to know you’re unstoppable. It doesn’t matter what league I’m playing in I’m going to score.”

He continued, “It’s the mentality you’ve got to change to be a top goalscorer and I’ve realised that. All the top goalscorers who score week in, week out like (Lionel) Messi and (Sergio) Aguero, they believe they are going to score before they’ve had a chance and that’s the only difference between a top goalscorer and an average striker.”

We’re glad Afobe’s hard work is paying off and he’s finally getting the playing time he wants.

We wish him all the best for the future (as long as it doesn’t come at Arsenal’s expensive, that is).

It’s also good to know that Arsenal probably have a buy-back clause for him.