GETTY Ajayi continues to improve as he gets used to the rigours of professional football

While those before him have been tended to be linemen, the NFL's gritty, dirty workers, grinding the hard yards up front making space for others, as a running back, Ajayi is a glamour player. He catches passes, jukes defenders, scores touchdowns, gets on magazine covers. There’s a lot to like about the Miami Dolphins' 22-year-old running back. He is what the Americans call a 'downhill' back, meaning that when he's got the ball, he tends to run at, and often over, defenders, as opposed to around them. His opportunities in his rookie year in the NFL have so far been limited, partly because he is behind starting running back Lamar Miller in the pecking order, not to mention the fact that he spent the first eight weeks of the 17-week season out with a rib injury. A lifelong Arsenal fan, Ajayi finally made his debut in a different brand of football in week nine against the Buffalo Bills. He carried the ball five times for 41 yards, an average of eight yards per carry: the league’s best backs will average just over five. "My first carry was a real ‘welcome to the NFL moment’,” said Ajayi.

GETTY Ajayi has yet to get his first NFL touchdown

“Getting that out of the way was important, and having that in my pocket so at the very least I could say ‘I played in the NFL’. “But straight after that I knew I had to show them what I could do, and that’s my mentality now, whenever I get the ball: make a play and show them what I’ve got.” And since his debut, he has certainly done that. A threat in the passing game and the running game, interim coach Dan Campbell has already told the press that two weeks into his active NFL career, Ajayi has earned more chances to get involved in the offence as the Dolphins push for a playoff berth. Bearing down on Miller’s starting position might create some friction between the two, but the Londoner's deference to his colleague, only two years his senior, clearly creates a competitive yet friendly atmosphere between the two. “Lamar is great,” added Ajayi. “I look at him now like my big brother. He’s been teaching me a lot of stuff and just being fortunate enough to watch him every week has been amazing.

GETTY Ajayi's childhood took him from Hackney, to Maryland, to Texas, and now an adult, to Miami

“We definitely have to work on getting him some more touches just because of how well he’s been playing right now. “It’s been a great relationship to have. I know he’s going to make plays, but whenever he gets tired and they need someone to call on who can keep the energy of the team going, then I plan on keeping the drive going whenever I can.” It is to Ajayi’s credit that he seems to take all of the frustrations of his first year in the NFL, ‘chasing a dream’ as he calls it, and still seems to have loved every second. When he was drafted by Miami, he would have known that their schedule included a game at Wembley against the Oakland Raiders. As if playing in the NFL wasn’t enough, he would get the chance to do it in the land of his birth. Then injury struck, when he cracked a rib in Miami's final pre-season fixture, ruling him out of the year's early games, including the Wembley game. “I was frustrated enough to be out for the first eight weeks, but it was a bit of an extra kick in the face knowing that we’d be playing in England and I wouldn’t be able to play,” said Ajayi.

GETTY Ajayi spent three years at Boise State University in Idaho, before entering the draft

“But I was fortunate enough to be able to travel with the team and watch them play, which I was very appreciative of. “I took in all the festivities of coming over to London and as a Londoner, to see NFL played there for the first time it was pretty special for me. “Now that I’m fit I’m just excited that I’ve been able to hit my form right out of the gate and do some good things for this team. “I’m constantly working on improving myself and my game but I’m pretty pleased with how I’ve done so far, and hearing the coaches talk about me continuing to earn more reps and get more carries is really exciting. “I just want to continue to produce so that I can earn those carries and make more plays for this team.” He knows his lines, but it would be unfair to write off Ajayi’s apparent work ethic as efficient media training. When coaches are going out of their way to talk you up, you’re generally doing the right things in practice. When asked about Arsenal, Ajayi's voice goes up a tone. The English accent that had been wallpapered over by a mild Texas twang starts to resurface as he talks about growing up watching the Invincibles win the league with his sporting hero Thierry Henry at the helm, a feat he believes the current generation can repeat this year.