JAY AJAYI is targeting a twin success this season with a Super Bowl ring and a Premier League title for his beloved Arsenal.
The young running back has carried the flag for Britain in the NFL this season, and carried his Miami Dolphins into the playoffs.
The 23-year-old faces the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday night in wild card round of the playoffs, the first of three games the Dolphins must win to reach the Super Bowl in Houston on February 5.
But when pressed on whether the Dolphins or the Gunners would taste success first, Ajayi said: “The only thing I can control is Miami winning the Super Bowl – so I would say that.”
Ajayi was born in London to Nigerian parents before moving to the US aged seven and coming through the high school and college system.
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He was drafted by the Dolphins in 2015 but had a tough start to life in the NFL having missed the first half of last season injured, including a game at Wembley, and falling down the pecking order at the start of this season.
“I didn’t travel to the first game of the season and that’s tough,” Ajayi said.
“You want to be out there on the field and help your team win. I had to try and move past it and showcase my abilities whenever the opportunity came.
“Seeing all the support on social media as well makes me want to keep pushing and keep raising my game.”
But since he scored the winning touchdown against Cleveland in the third week of the season, there has no stopping the ‘Jay Train’.
Ajayi finished the season fourth on the rushing leaders list and scored eight touchdowns, helping the Dolphins to nine wins in 10 to reach the playoffs.
“To still have a solid year and have an opportunity to play in the playoffs is a great feeling.
“From the beginning of the year to now, I’m grateful for the journey and learned a lot about myself.
“I’m glad that the run game was a great part of why we’re here at this point today.”
Ajayi had stats gurus trawling through the record books when he became just the fourth player in history to put up back-to-back 200 yard rushing games.
The first of those was against the Pittsburgh defence he faces on Sunday.
After watching Arsenal’s comeback at Bournemouth on Tuesday and tweeting his excitement at Olivier Giroud’s equaliser, Ajayi has been plotting the Steelers’ downfall.
“Pittsburgh are a team we played earlier in the year and we’re excited to get another crack at them. It’s the playoffs and the stakes are high.”
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