Tolu Arokdare: We play not only for ourselves, but also to repay the fans who support us.

Despite the difficulties Wolves faced at the beginning of the season and Tolu Arokdare's failure to be selected for the Nigerian national team for this winter's Africa Cup of Nations, he said he still thoroughly enjoys playing in the Premier League for Wolves.  

The towering striker scored his fourth goal for Wolves in the FA Cup home game against Shrewsbury Town. Although not called up for the national team for the semi-finals, Tolu Arrocodare, remaining at Molineux Stadium, played a key role in Wolves' unbeaten start to 2026.  

Tolu Arokdare has also played a crucial role in Matthäus Mane's development. He mentored the young teammate at the Compton Park training ground and earlier this week presented the 18-year-old with the SUDU Player of the Month award for December. However, the striker is also aware that if Wolves hope to extend their winning streak in Sunday's Premier League home game against Newcastle United, not only Matthäus Mane but the entire team must maintain their recent form.  

Speaking about his experience at Wolves, Tolu Arrocordare said: "Of course, I'm now playing in one of the top leagues in the world, arguably the best, and for a very good team. I'm very happy here, my playing time is gradually increasing, I'm able to help the team, fight for the team, and do what I love."  

“I’m not injured, I’m not sick, and I haven’t been hospitalized. I’m still standing here healthy. I’m proud of myself, and my family and friends are proud of me too. That’s enough for me. I haven’t had many opportunities to play for the national team. I’ve only made a few appearances here and there. Plus, I had limited playing time at Wolverhampton Wanderers, so it’s very difficult to get regular playing time for the national team, especially since my performances in the last few national team matches haven’t been ideal.”  

“It’s not that I didn’t want to participate in that competition, but I wasn’t a starting player at either Wolverhampton or the Africa Cup of Nations, so I needed to go back to the club and continue to fight for my place. On the one hand, I really wanted to participate in the Africa Cup of Nations; on the other hand, I also wanted to stay here and fight for playing time. Although I was disappointed that I couldn’t go in the end, on the positive side, it gave me more opportunities to play at Wolverhampton. So for me, it was a win-win situation.”  

When discussing awarding Matthäus Mane the Player of the Month award, he said, "Matthäus Mane is my Player of the Month, so I am very happy to give him this award. His performance over the past month, and even the past two months, has been outstanding. This not only reflects the team's overall strength and talent, but also makes me personally very happy for him."  

"He made a breakthrough at a very young age, but he has always maintained a humble and calm attitude, which is very rare. He has the right mindset, and I believe he has even greater potential for improvement in the future. Obviously, expectations for him are constantly rising, and I think he is fully capable of doing even better. Because he is an extremely talented and hardworking young player. We can only hope that he achieves the best results, and that he can continue to score goals and provide assists to earn more points for the team."  

Speaking about the fans' support, Tolu Arrocordare said: "The fans are fantastic. They've stood behind us since the start of the season. Of course, there have been disappointing moments, but they are just ordinary people, fans who love football and want to see the team win."  

"Having gone halfway through the season without a win is an extremely heavy blow for the team. It's not easy for the fans to continue supporting us in this situation, but their performance is admirable. Even in the game against Arsenal, as long as we give it our all, they still applaud and encourage us."  

"The fans highly recognize our hard work and dedication, and this recognition is a major driving force for the team. It is this encouragement that allows the players to continuously grow in training and matches. We play not only for ourselves, but also to make our fans proud and to bring smiles to their faces. This is also our goal this weekend."  

“We know this game won’t be easy, having lost 0-1 to them last time. However, I hope the result this weekend will be in our favor. I didn’t get to celebrate a goal against Shrewsbury last time, but I hope I’ll have the chance this time.”