Taiwo Awoniyi has reflected on two unforgettable moments from the early stages of his Nottingham Forest journey — scoring the club’s first Premier League goal after their long-awaited return and netting a memorable winner against his former club, Liverpool.
After spending 23 years outside the English top flight, Forest finally returned to the Premier League in 2022, and Awoniyi etched his name into the club’s history books almost immediately. The Nigerian forward scored the decisive goal in a 1-0 victory over West Ham United on August 14, 2022, becoming the player to register Forest’s first Premier League goal since 1999.
Reflecting on the moment, Awoniyi described it as a dream fulfilled, saying it was special to score his maiden Premier League goal while also giving Forest a landmark moment after their return to the division.
However, his goal against Liverpool later that year carried a deeper emotional significance.
The striker had previously been on Liverpool’s books for six years but never featured in an official match. His inability to obtain a work permit, largely due to not having a senior appearance for Nigeria at the time, prevented him from breaking into the team.
During his time with the Reds, Awoniyi was sent out on several loan spells across Europe, featuring for clubs including FSV Frankfurt, NEC Nijmegen, Royal Excel Mouscron, Racing Genk, Mainz 05 and Union Berlin before eventually joining the German club permanently and later moving to Nottingham Forest.
When Forest hosted Liverpool at the City Ground on October 22, 2022, Awoniyi came back to haunt his former employers. He scored the only goal of the match in the 55th minute after reacting quickest to his rebound, sealing an important 1-0 victory for Forest.
Speaking about the strike, the Nigerian admitted it brought mixed emotions because of his history with Liverpool. Although he never got the opportunity to play for them, he said scoring the winning goal for Forest in a crucial match was a moment he would always remember.
Awoniyi joined Forest from Union Berlin ahead of the 2022/23 campaign and has grown into one of the club’s key attacking players since arriving at the City Ground.
