From Mason to Forest’s savior in the Premier League

Taiyo Owonyi is a Nigerian footballer who has gained fame for his ability as a striker. He started his professional football career by signing with the Imperial Academy in Nigeria. He then moved to Liverpool Football Club in 2015 but struggled to obtain a work visa in the UK which saw him spend several seasons on loan with various European clubs including FSV Frankfurt, NEC Nijmegen and Royal Excel Mouscron, among others. . He is now at Nottingham Forest.

Born in Nigeria, the boy earned a few dollars working as a construction worker and delivering water to his neighbours. Due to a lack of resources, he had to wear much larger shoes, and wear up to ten pairs of socks to fit his feet.

A goal in the childhood team

“Arsenal has always been my team and you can’t criticize them in my presence growing up. A lot of my friends called me that day and said, ‘Tayo, you finally scored a goal against your team’”Awoniyi was involved with BBC Sport Africa.

His parents wanted him to become a doctor

Although his parents wanted Awni to become a doctor, his passion for football prevailed. After some family disputes over his selection, the youngster played in local clubs and Nigerian youth teams, winning the U-17 World title in 2013. During the tournament in the United Arab Emirates, he scored four goals.

_{Taiyo Owonyi in the English Premier League (Transcript/BBC Sports/Esporte Africa)}

In 2015, he moved to Swedish club Kalmar before being acquired by Liverpool the following year. However, due to work permit issues, the striker did not get the chance to play for the Reds first team.

“Thinking back on the string of loans I’ve been through, I realize it was these years that shaped me, and everything I’ve worked so tirelessly over the past six years seems to have been erased. This hasn’t been an easy journey,” she says. The player counts.

Hence, over the course of his five-year contract with the club, he was loaned out to a number of teams, including FSV Frankfurt, NEC Nijmegen, Muscron, Gent and Mainz 05, before finally joining Union Berlin in 2020, where he rose. to fame.

Featured Image: Taiyo Owonyi celebrates scoring a Forest goal. Playback / James Williamson / ESPN