From a London youth tournament to the heights of the Premier League
In short: In 2010, Taiwo Awoniyi was named Most Valuable Player at a London football competition. That moment ignited a journey through multiple European leagues and a high-stakes transfer to Nottingham Forest, marking the rise of a striker whose career has been defined by both clinical finishing and incredible resilience.
Taiwo Awoniyi's professional ascent began in earnest when his performance at a Coca-Cola football competition in London caught the eye of Seyi Olofinjana, leading to his recruitment by the Imperial Soccer Academy. By August 2015, he had signed for Liverpool for approximately £400,000, though his path to the first team was marked by a series of strategic loans across Europe to gain experience.
His developmental years were spent navigating the complexities of European football, including stints at FSV Frankfurt in Germany, NEC in the Netherlands, and Belgian clubs Royal Excel Mouscron and Gent. These years were not without hardship; he faced consecutive relegations with Frankfurt and NEC, and expressed concerns in April 2019 that difficulties securing a UK work permit might jeopardize his Liverpool career.
A turning point arrived in 2022 when he joined Nottingham Forest for a club-record fee of approximately £17 million. He proved his worth in the Premier League, notably becoming the first Forest player since Stan Collymore in 1995 to score in six consecutive matches. His resilience was tested again in May 2025 following a serious abdominal injury that required an induced coma, yet he returned to scoring for the club by January 2026.
Beyond his club career, Awoniyi has been a staple for the Nigerian national team. He was part of the squad that won the 2013 FIFA U-17 World Cup, scoring four goals during that tournament, and has since represented his country in the 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup and the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
Opens the Intellect+ feed with this card first. Swipe up for the next one.
Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Taiwo Awoniyi
To cite this card, link to https://intellectplus.co.uk/app/history-taiwo-awoniyi.
How we source, check and correct cards: Editorial standards.
General information, not professional advice. Spotted an error? Flag the card or see corrections and complaints.
Intellect Plus is a visual educational discovery platform for exploring fascinating facts and ideas. Brain Food, Not Brain Rot. What is Intellect Plus?
Related
More in Born on this day · More in History · Latest · A–Z · All topics
