He signed for Liverpool at 18 and never played a competitive match for them. Taiwo Awoniyi spent six years on loan, moving between clubs in Germany and Belgium while work permit rules and fierce competition kept him away from Anfield. When he finally found a home at Union Berlin, the goals came. Then Nottingham Forest bought him, and he became their talisman in the Premier League.
Early life, Liverpool and loans
Awoniyi was born in 1997 in Ilorin, in Kwara State, Nigeria. He came through the Imperial Academy in Nigeria and played for Nigeria at youth level, including the 2013 Under-17 World Cup, which Nigeria won. Liverpool signed him in 2015. Because he did not yet qualify for a UK work permit, he was loaned out repeatedly. His loans included FSV Frankfurt, NEC Nijmegen, Royal Excel Mouscron, Gent, Mainz and Union Berlin. At times he struggled for playing time, but he kept developing.
Union Berlin signed him permanently in 2021. In the 2021-22 Bundesliga season, he scored 15 league goals, helping Union qualify for Europe.
Forest, style and the Super Eagles
In 2022, newly promoted Nottingham Forest paid a club-record fee to sign him. He scored important goals as Forest avoided relegation in their first season back in the Premier League. Awoniyi is a powerful centre-forward, strong in the air and able to hold up the ball. He works hard for the team and is dangerous in the box.
Injuries have interrupted parts of his Forest career, but he has remained a key player when fit. He made his senior Nigeria debut in 2021 and has played in Africa Cup of Nations campaigns, competing with strikers such as Victor Osimhen for a place.
Faith, patience and work rate
Awoniyi has spoken about his Christian faith and his close family, which he credits for keeping him grounded through the long loan years. His career is often cited as an example of patience in football, showing that a slow start does not mean a player will not succeed. Coaches at Forest and Union praised his work rate and willingness to press defenders.
Taiwo Awoniyi was a Liverpool player for six years without wearing the shirt in a game. He made his name instead at two clubs that needed his goals to survive.
