The consistent rise of Afeez Aremu might be quiet but it hasn’t gone unoticed in quarters where good football is appreciated.

The St. Pauli midfielder was discovered as a diamond in the rough and had to go through the refining process before going on to establish himself as a pivotal core of promotion-chasing St. Pauli.

In the 2021/2022 season, Aremu’s consistency in St. Pauli’s team sheet speaks volume on his development, being one of the first names in the team sheet. He has raked in 19 appearances in the Bundesliga 2 while featuring in 4 out of his club’s 5 games in the DFB Pokal, as the Hamburg-based club continues their promotion chase.

One of Aremu’s biggest assets is his ability to play as a ball-carrier from deep midfield while being press-resistant, staying calm to find his best option per time. This has earned him the admiration of his coach who sees this ability as important to his team’s promotion chase.

Also, he combines this trait with a combative approach to his game on the counter-press. His ability to run double figures in Kilometres per match makes him a formidable presence for pressing and in-game disruption.

In contemporary football, midfielders are expected to be solid, all-round across different sections of the pitch and march up their opposite number. Afeez was said to be limited by being less-impactful in grit but he has developed good physicality, that has seen him become an imposing figure in the midfield.

The 22-year old has developed into an all-round player from Akwa United, passing through the Norwegian league with IK Start to St. Pauli, where he is currently impressing.

Afeez has already featured in more than twice the minutes he played last season with this season not yet over. It’s a testament of his growth and how he has won the trust of the coaching crew, led by Timo Shultz. St. Pauli have remained firm in their pursuit for promotion, as they still remain in the spot for promotion into the Bundesliga for the 2022-23 season.

It is a matter of “when” and not “if” Aremu will completely win over national selectors with his impressive showings this season in Germany. The former Flying Eagles midfielder looks to have the kind of profile that would add steel in a department the Super Eagles have struggled to get quality. This is one area, one expects Afeez’s distribution, calmness and grit will bring quality to the fold. Afeez’s disciplinary record also exemplifies his clamness in tackles and interceptions. He has picked only a paltry three yellow cards in over 1,000 minutes of football.

One would hope that Aremu’s meteoric rise continues and if St. Pauli picks the promotion ticket, he’s able to strutt his stuff in the elite flight, the Bundesliga.

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