Big interview: Wolves home is where the heart is for Benik Afobe

The striker made an emotional return to Wolves last week, going through a personal hell on deadline day in what he called the most stressful six hours of his life.

His 'on-off' Wolves homecoming was finally on at 10.40pm last Wednesday, just 20 minutes before the window closed.

With the drama out of the way he now has four months to make an impression in a team that's very different to the one he left in 2016 when he joined Bournemouth in a £10million deal.

It's a challenge he's relishing, particularly after a frustrating few months with the Cherries.

And while Wolves is a much-changed club, it's still one he's still very acquainted with.

"Every game they've played on Sky this season I've seen," he told the Express & Star's Tim Spiers. "Matt Doherty's my best mate and I look at his career anyway, whether I was going to come back here or not.

"I watched the game when they beat Birmingham 1-0, I wasn't watching it thinking I'd be going back to Wolves, I was in the car – in the passenger seat! – on my phone. It just goes to show how much I love the club.

"I was that sure of coming back I made a video of clips of me scoring Wolves goals to put on Instragam a week before deadline day.

"In my head, I know it's probably not good because you can never be sure and things change, but I was that confident of coming back....to nearly miss the deadline by 10 minutes was going to be heartbreaking.

"My mum and dad were saying to me 'things happen in life, you're still contracted at a Premier League club, you can work your way into the Bournemouth team'.

"But whatever they said to me I just said 'I want to go to Wolves'. I threw my toys out my pram basically! Quietly, at home. No one knew was I was going through but it was that stressful and draining.

"I don't ever want to move on a deadline day again! It was tough.

"Crystal Palace were going to buy Ibrahim Amadou (from Lille) and it ended up not going through, that could have been me.

"The next day he was walking back from the station with his hood up and I thought imagine if that was me, imagine what he's feeling right now.

"It's not secret what's happened with (Riyad) Mahrez as well and I didn't want to be in that situation.

"I'd be upset. I'm not one of those players that won't turn up – I'd get on with it and train. But how would I have been? I said I wanted to go that much – not publicly. I've kept quiet, I've matured. But deep down in my heart I wanted this move."

Afobe's determination and sheer desperation to return to Wolves – turning down offers of first-team football at Premier League clubs and Championship promotion-chasing sides – is evident.

When his proposed Molineux return wasn't looking likely was he tempted to "do a Peter Odemwingie" and turn up at the Wolves training ground anyway?

"I was going to!" he said. "But they said to me to stay at home, at 6pm I got down the motorway and then it was off when I got here so I was waiting in the car for ages.

"I do appreciate Bournemouth doing the deal. They could have kept me and I've got a lot of respect for them, I owe them a lot."

Afobe was one of the most prolific young strikers in Europe when he was last at Molineux, at one point scoring 35 goals in 55 appearances for MK Dons (on loan) and Wolves combined.

He netted 23 times in Wolves colours before his Premier League switch, but at Bournemouth the goals dried up with only 11 in 70 games, albeit 34 of those appearances were from the bench.

In the two years that have passed since we last saw him in gold and black, how has the striker changed?

"I've got tactically more aware," he added. "I've got a bit smarter than before, I'm more mature.

"I used to have loads of conversations with Kenny Jackett here, I used to say I want to come and get the ball because the ball wouldn't come. There'd be games where I wouldn't touch the ball for 60 minutes.

"I remember against Nottingham Forest away when I scored and we won 2-1, that game, the first half was probably my worst performance for Wolves – I touched the ball about two or three times.

"At half time I came in and said 'I'm not getting the ball, I'm not getting a chance'. I was confident at the time and it was one of those games where strikers may as well go home! I had a bit of a disagreement with the manager, he said 'stay high, it's going to come'.

"I took matters in my own hands, got the ball from deep and just ran with it and scored.

"When I scored I just thought to myself I wish I could just stand up here and get chances!

"I've come back here and everyone's telling me how much they create and how many opportunities you can get by being in and around the right places.

"That's a dream for a forward – you don't want to have to do things alone. You want to be going through one v one. That's when I'm at my best – good movement, strong, powerful and clinical finishing. That's what I want to get back to doing.

"My game's changed in that respect, I think I'm more tactically aware. I'm fitter now and probably quicker.

"People haven't seen a lot of me this season but if I get a run of games I'll be back to my best, for sure."

Afobe left under a cloud when he departed Wolves in a £10m deal, just a year after being snapped up for a bargain £2m from Arsenal where he had progressed through the academy.

In what was a very public fall-out, then-chief executive Jez Moxey and recruitment chief Kevin Thelwell, speaking at a Fans' Parliament meeting, accused him of not trying hard enough in his final months at Wolves and 'undermining' what the team were trying to achieve.

A shocked Afobe responding on Twitter saying he was made a scapegoat.

Two years on, not only does Afobe harbour no grudges, he says it was 'good' the claims were made, because the club was protected.

He explained: "Things got twisted. I never made a big fuss about it.

"When I went to Bournemouth Eddie Howe asked me if I wanted to make a public statement...I just said there's no point. Deep down, in house, we knew what happened.

"Basically the first season, in my first six months we finished seventh and missed out on goal difference.

"I thought we'd win promotion the next season, I was very confident. I think a bid came in the summer (from Norwich) but I didn't want to leave.

"I was 22 at the time, I'd come from Arsenal, worked my way to MK Dons via injuries and lack of form. From Arsenal reserves to MK Dons you start thinking when are you going to get your Premier League chance again.

"And then we were 15th in January (2016). If we were even 10th I wouldn't have gone. But we were so far from the Premier League.

"And then as a centre forward if you stop scoring goals for 20 games, that's your chance to get to the Premier League gone. People might say it's selfish but coming from Arsenal where I was touted as one of the best young players in Europe, you see it so many times when talented players can end up in League Two. I didn't want that to happen to me.

"When my chance came to get to the Premier League and the team were 15th, you've got to ask that you want to leave. I didn't want to leave at all but we just weren't doing great and I wanted to get in the top flight.

"I spoke to Kenny (Jackett) at the time and Kev (Thelwell) and they didn't want to let me go. I've always kept in contact with Kev, he was the one talking to my dad constantly. They wanted me back, he spoke to Nuno and he wanted me back. I never had anything against anyone.

"Kev gave me a massive hug (last week) and it felt like being at home. I know Jez said a few things but he was going to have to say something – he wasn't going to say yeah we let him go.

"The club was going to get sold. I knew it was nothing negative – he said what he had to say.

"But it was good that he said that. The club is more important than a player. I'd rather him make the player look worse than the club. It was simple and I understood it.

"I know Jez isn't here anymore but he was a great guy for me. If I saw him now I'd give him a hug. There are no enemies, I love everyone here. I'm looking at the present and the future now."

He certainly is. And if things go to plan, that future could be a long and prosperous one in Wolves colours.

First things first, though – Afobe needs to work his way into the Wolves side, which given they've lost only once in 16 league games and sit 11 points clear at the top of the Championship might not be that straightforward.

His second Wolves debut, like his first in January 2015, came as a substitute.

The striker though is confident he can force his way into the XI and fire Wolves to promotion.

“I came here (in 2015), Nouha Dicko was on fire, the boys were doing great and I ended up working my way into the team,” Afobe added.

“Wherever you go, you see loads of players whether it’s Barcelona or in League Two, you have to fight for your place.

“I’m ready. I’m focused and hopefully this manager can improve me, I can get to know the players and the way they play.

“The players here are quality and I feel at home.

“Four months is a long time, there are so many points to play for, so I’m taking it game by game and I’ll try to score as many goals as I can.”