da betway： The Nigerian striker has scored in each of his last seven league matches, after not quite doing enough at Anfield as a youngster
da dobrowin： Nottingham Forest are sitting down in 14th after the first three rounds of fixtures in the Premier League season, having narrowly avoided an immediate return to the Championship in 2022-23. Steve Cooper's men lost 2-1 at Arsenal on the opening weekend, and although they bounced back with a home win over newly-promoted Sheffield United, Manchester United brought them crashing back down to earth on Saturday.
United came back from two goals down to beat Forest 3-2 at Old Trafford, making their numerical advantage count following Joe Worrall's 67th-minute red card. It won't get any easier for the Reds either, with games against Chelsea and Manchester City on the cards in September.
But there is still plenty of cause for optimism at the City Ground – mainly because of the form of Taiwo Awoniyi. The 26-year-old has three goals from three games this term, while if we continue his run from the end of the last season, he has netted nine in seven, scoring in each one of those games. There are few better instinctive finishers in English football right now.
Fitness struggles restricted Awoniyi's impact in his debut campaign at Forest, but he now looks primed and ready to help them push for a mid-table berth. It's been a remarkable journey for a man whose career in English football looked all but over when he was sold by Liverpool just two years ago.
GettyArrival in England
Awoniyi learned his trade at the Imperial Soccer Academy in his native Nigeria, and was quickly earmarked as a future star. "His mental attitude stood out. Taiwo played like his life depended on it. He had that never say die attitude," academy co-founder Atiba Bankole told in 2021.
He went on to earn a place in Nigeria's Under-17s squad for the 2013 World Cup, and inspired the Super Eagles to glory alongside the likes of Kelechi Iheanacho and Wilfried Ndidi. Awoniyi scored four goals at the tournament, attracting attention from top European clubs in the process.
Liverpool won the race for the forward's signature two years later, snapping the then-18-year-old up for just £400,000. “This is the biggest club in the world and I’m privileged to be here," Awoniyi told the club website at his unveiling. "When I’m in the red shirt, I will always give my very best to make the fans happy."
AdvertisementBack-to-back relegations
Awoniyi was immediately loaned out to FSV Frankfurt, but didn't make his debut for the club until February 2016. He would only score once in 13 appearances in the 2. Bundesliga for FSV, and couldn't prevent them from suffering relegation to the third tier of German football.
Dutch outfit NEC Nijmegen then signed Awoniyi on loan for the duration of the 2016-17 campaign, but he also struggled for consistency in the Eredivisie. The Nigerian ace only found the net twice in 18 games and suffered the pain of relegation once again. Awoniyi subsequently returned to Liverpool, but work permit issues made further loan spells inevitable.
GettyMixed spells in Belgium
Royal Excel Mouscron were the next club to take a chance on Awoniyi, and he made an instant impact by scoring on his debut in a Belgian Pro League clash against KSC Lokeren. Awoniyi finished the campaign with 10 goals and seven assists to his name in all competitions, and was rewarded with a new long-term contract at Liverpool in July 2018 before being loaned back to Belgium – this time at Gent.
That agreement was cut short early in January 2019, though, as Awoniyi left Gent with no goals from 15 league games. However, he returned to Mouscron for the second half of the campaign and rediscovered his scoring touch, as he hit seven goals in nine matches.
Liverpool dream starts to fade
Unfortunately, Awoniyi was still no closer to being granted a work permit that would allow him to kickstart his Liverpool career, as he had been unable to break into the Nigeria senior squad at international level.
"It saddens my heart that it's been difficult to get a work permit for the past four years," he told in April 2019. "At the end of the season, we have to go back to Liverpool to discuss. Everyone knows the importance of the work permit and how it works, and that you'd need to play for your national team.
"If you don't get a chance with your national team then it becomes difficult to get it. Personally, I chose Liverpool because I would love to play in the English Premier League for Liverpool. If God says it will happen then it will, but if not then I can only go on with my life and career."