Benik Afobe not afraid to set more ambitious goals….and explains why facing former clubs doesn’t change his motivation

Benik Afobe might have prepped for many pre-seasons before, but his appetite for the start of another Championship campaign remains as ravenous as ever.

The Millwall striker was unable to face Stoke City last season as part of the terms of the loan deal that took him to SE16.

But Afobe made a permanent move to the Lions this summer and is raring to go for the Championship opener tomorrow against his former club, after a productive pre-season which has seen him net against Crystal Palace, Dartford and Ipswich Town.

Afobe top-scored with 13 goals last season.

“I still have the same excitement as I did at 17 or 18 when I went on loan to Huddersfield at the start of my career,” Afobe told the South London Press. “I always say the day I stop having that feeling is the day I retire.

“Being here on loan last season is going to be beneficial, for sure. It took about four or five months to get the hang of how we played.

“My target, first and foremost, is to score every game. The aim is to finish higher as a football club and for me to score more goals than I did last season, because I know I can – simple as that.

“The manager’s backing is one of the main reasons why I came here. As much as I enjoy my time here, the manager having faith in you is probably the most important thing.

“When someone believes in you, you want to prove them right. He showed a lot of belief, especially when he first brought me here last season. A lot of people said things, I had a tough time in Turkey [on loan at Trabzonspor], but he backed me.”

Lions boss Rowett felt they had missed out on Afobe as the forward closed in on a switch to Club Brugge in Belgium.

Afobe jetted out for a medical but never put pen to paper.

“A few private things have gone on and we decided as a family it wasn’t one for me at this moment in time,” he said. “My mind was also on Millwall.

“For most of the summer I had other options in the Championship, Far East and Middle East. But my children are quite young and I enjoyed my time at Millwall so much last year. It sounds a bit cheesy, but there is a bit of unfinished business here.

“I’m confident this is going to be a good season for us. The key for us is knowing how to win games – which sounds very easy but isn’t always.

“We’ve signed four or five players to add to the group and it’s about adapting as quickly as possible and finding the consistency – because last season there were games where we were brilliant and others where we weren’t so good. We need to stick to the bits we are good at and also being coachable and adaptable, so we can change formation.

“We’ve lost a lot of players but the squad this time is better.

“I was reading an interview by Antonio Conte [Tottenham manager] on Sunday and he was talking about why he has bought in so many players – so when he does change the team he doesn’t want the level to drop. He’s got players who are good enough to start, but they might not start. That’s what you need.”

Rowett was at the Stoke City helm when Afobe signed for them in June 2018, his loan becoming permanent for a reported £12million fee the following January.

The former Arsenal youngster scored nine goals in 49 matches that season, the only one where he commanded regular game time.

Rowett was sacked six months after Afobe arrived.

“I don’t really want to talk about my time at Stoke,” said the 29-year-old. “That’s in the past.

“It was a tough season for us but I was the top goalscorer for the team, people do forget about that.”

So is there extra motivation for tomorrow?

“Not any more, man,” said Afobe. “I’ve gone past that stage. I’ve played for so many clubs that playing against one of my old ones isn’t a thing for me anymore!

“Last season I played against Bournemouth, Bristol [City], Huddersfield and Reading – I scored against all of them!

“I didn’t celebrate at Bristol because I had a special connection with them after the problem with my family.”

Afobe’s deal with the South Londoners runs until the end of June, effectively the same terms he had left on his Stoke contract.

While the reaction of Millwall fans was delight at him being back in club colours again for the 2022-23 campaign, there was also some disappointment that his future could again be the subject of debate in 12 months’ time.

“It was a mutual decision,” said Afobe. “I don’t know what I can say, or should say, but personally I wanted a year, only, but it doesn’t mean I’m not going to be at Millwall longer than a year.

“The contract is a year, but you never know what can happen. Last year when I was at Millwall and I kept saying I was just concentrating on this season – everyone thought that was me trying to leave and not come back. But here I am again.”

There are some big boots to fill – luminous ones – with Jed Wallace leaving on a free transfer for West Bromwich Albion.

“We have to be honest – Jed had an influence, not just on the pitch but off it,” said Afobe. “He is a loud, bubbly and positive character.

“He is gone now and that will give other players the opportunity to step up and a chance to show what they can do.

“No footballer is ever bigger than the club – whether that is me, Jed or whoever. You see players like [Lionel] Messi leave Barcelona and [Cristiano] Ronaldo left Real Madrid and they still went on to win the Champions League without him. It just goes to show that a club can move on.”

Afobe is not about to start predicting which clubs he expects to be in the promotion picture.

“The Championship is so hit and miss,” he said. “I could give you five names now and they could be in the bottom half.

“As I’ve got older, and I don’t mind saying this publicly, I don’t really take much interest in these other teams. All I care about is what we can do to break into the top six. We’ve threatened a few years now.

“Our home record we did enough to get in there last time, we had the second best record in the league. But away – at Hull City and Peterborough – we should have been taking at least a draw. If we can improve our away form that should be enough.

“If our away record was slightly better we could’ve finished in third or fourth position. We’re not even that far away.”