Tolu Arokodare feels right at home at Ajax, he tells Het Laatste Nieuws. The 25-year-old striker has become hugely popular in Amsterdam.
His footballing ability isn't the only reason fans have taken to him. "Maybe some people think it's an act, but it definitely isn't. Ask anyone who knows me what my defining quality is and they'll say: 'He has a big heart.' I want to be the man who wants the best for everyone."
So far, Tolu has scored nine times in fourteen official appearances. "If I hadn't scored those goals, they might have been less friendly towards me," he acknowledges, before turning to his team-mate Marcos Leonardo.
"I feel really bad for him. When you see what's being said and written about him… I hope he doesn't take much of it in. Fortunately, his English and Dutch aren't great."
Although Leonardo competes with him for the striker's position, Tolu doesn't see him as a rival. He still has faith in the Brazilian. "He'll score his goals, no doubt. Sometimes it's hard to shut out all that noise, especially as a striker. I struggled with that last season too."
Tolu says he also had a "very tough time" during his spell at Wolverhampton Wanderers. "I arrived at Wolves full of confidence. Somewhere along the way, I lost it. The team weren't functioning at all and the results were disappointing. No one can stand out in those circumstances. You want to stay positive, but it eats away at you."
At Ajax, he is starting to feel like himself again. "I was still smiling, but my family noticed there was something behind that smile. I had lost myself. Thanks to their help, and the help of my mental coaches, my agents, my Ajax team-mates and coaches, I can feel myself becoming more and more like myself again."