The serious abdominal injury Taiwo Awoniyi sustained in Nottingham Forest’s Premier League draw against Leicester is the latest setback in a career which has seen the forward overcome numerous hurdles to pursue his top flight dream.
Awoniyi is currently in an induced coma and receiving intensive care following ‘urgent’ surgery following the injury Mail Sport revealed could have been life-threatening.
The Nottingham Forest striker crashed into a post during Sunday’s 2-2 draw with Leicester and, following several minutes of treatment, returned to action before being taken off.
Mail Sport understands that the initial signs are that the surgery has been a success. In what is a complex medical process, doctors were expecting to today complete the operation.
Forest have claimed their owner Evangelos Marinakis entered the field after the match to express ‘deep care, responsibility and emotional investment’ in one of their own players, dismissing suggestions he had appeared to remonstrate with boss Nuno Espirito Santo.
Amid Forest’s statement clarifying matters, the club confirmed that Awoniyi is ‘recovering well’ in hospital from what Mail Sport understands is a complex medical process, with doctors expected to complete the second part of his operation today.
Nottingham Forest striker Taiwo Awoniyi is in an induced coma after undergoing urgent abdominal surgery
Awoniyi collided heavily with the post during the 2-2 draw with Leicester on Sunday
He required several minutes of treatment but played on despite being in visible discomfort
The serious injury is the latest setback in a journey in the game that Awoniyi has openly admitted had not been easy.
Awoniyi’s journey into the game began in the city of Ilorin, located in Kwara State in Nigeria. He revealed last year that his parents had initially had different views on him pursuing football.
His love of the game began when his mother Mary bought him a small football from a market, but his father Solomon – a police officer – had sought to have his children focus on their education. Solomon wanted his son to pursue becoming a doctor, with Awoniyi’s older siblings Adeola and Oluwafunke becoming a midwife and pharmacist, respectively.
‘My mum said to me “you love to kick everything”, even when I was at nursery I was kicking everything. I liked to play on the streets as well,’ Awoniyi told Nottingham Forest TV last year. ‘My brother was a good goalkeeper as well, but my father wanted me to go to school.
‘We played on the streets and my brother told me “you are very good” and just fell in love with football. Then one day I saw a lot of lads playing football and was told “you cannot play, you need to tell your parents and register.
‘I went home and asked my parents and at that point my dad had accepted me playing football and that was okay.’
Awoniyi admitted his siblings played a key role in the early stages. His twin sister Kehinde – who looked after him while his father was at work – allowed him to sneak out to play football on the streets.
His brother Victor had also pleaded with his father to allow Awoniyi to attend the final of a street tournament.
Awoniyi’s family have played an important role in his journey to being a Premier League star
The Nigerian international is married to Taiye, with the couple sharing two children together
The star set up his own football academy in Nigeria after facing his own battle to reach the top
‘We were in a final – at that point we were just playing on the street – my brother was like everybody wants him to be there,’ Awoniyi said.
We thought he [our dad] went to work early but he never left and was sitting there. A lot of boys came to the house and were like “we need Taiwo out of the house” and he was surprised and was like “okay”.
He followed me as well and do my thing. After watching he said we needed to come to an agreement, “I will let you play your football if you get good grades in school”. As time went on I started playing for the state and there was a lot of interest so he started buying my boots with his salary.’
His father’s desire for Awoniyi to continue his education has been long-lasting, with his son going on to study for a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, having already earned a diploma in the in for Business Administration and Marketing Management.
Secondary school would also be where Awoniyi would meet his future wife Taiye. Having admitted to stealing food from her locker, Awoniyi would eventually confess his feeling after her had starred on trip to London to play in a youth tournament.
Awoniyi’s father, having given his blessing for his son to pursue football, then offered to help fund his travel to training, an offer the future Nigeria international attempted to reject to focus their funds on feeding the family.
Instead, Awoniyi would complete a one hour trek to training every day. His first coach Abdulrazaq Olojo would provide him with money to travel home or bring him back to his family on his motorbike.
Awoniyi includes Olojo among the most important people in his career, along with his family and the former Wolves and Nigeria international Seyi Olofinjana.
Awoniyi, a devout Christian, has spoken of the role his faith has played during his career
He was part of Nigeria’s Under-17 FIFA World Cup winning side in 2013, scoring four goals
Olofinjana travelled over 200 kilometres to watch a 13-year-old Awoniyi, with the teenager suitably impressing the former Premier League star to earn a place in his Imperial Academy.
Along with football and study, Awoniyi took on several jobs to earn money to buy football shoes rather than rely on the financial support of his father. He even got to the stage where he learned to repair his own boots, as well as fixing those of his team-mates to earn additional money.
‘I knew he [my father] was really, really pushing to do that so I knew I would have to do some work as well,’ Awoniyi said. ‘Such as working in the bricklayers shop, moving blocks and fresh water for people just to get money.
‘This money I would keep saving myself and I would use it to buy football shoes. I know how difficult it is to buy football shoes. When the shoe would get torn apart I would watch the shoemaker repair it to the point I could literally make every shoe myself.’
On occasions Awoniyi would come up short, recalling to the BBC in 2023 that he would wear ‘up to ten pairs of socks’ to fit into a pair of oversized boots.
Awoniyi’s own battles to become a professional have been reflected in his desire to provide others with opportunities, having funded facilities in Nigeria and establishing the ‘Never Stop Dreaming Tournament’ for young players.
The devout Christian’s faith was credited by Olofinjana as being a factor in Awoniyi’s belief that he could one day reach the Premier League. Awoniyi has recalled praying specifically that he would one day feature in the top flight.
The forward prayers were answered when he landed a dream move to Liverpool in 2015.
Awoniyi signed for Liverpool in 2015 but was unable to play a game for the club in six years
A lack of a work permit led to Awoniyi leaving Liverpool on loan seven times in six years
Jurgen Klopp advised the forward to consider joining German side Union Berlin permanently
Awoniyi joined Union Berlin in 2021 and helped the club to finish fifth in the Bundesliga
The move came two years after he had caught the eye at the FIFA Under-17 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates. Awoniyi scored four goals at the tournament, including three in the knock-out stages as Nigeria went on the win the event for the fourth time.
His lack of senior international football for Nigeria, however, hindered him upon signing for Liverpool. Having been unable to acquire a work permit, Awoniyi had seven loan spells in six years as his wait to feature in the Premier League went on.
Awoniyi credits his family unit for reminding him of the hard work that had got him to the club and stressing that he should continue to strive for his top flight dream.
He would take the advice of then Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp to consider an offer from German side Union Berlin in 2021, having spent the previous season on loan at the club.
A reported £6.5 million move proved a vital moment in his career, with Awoniyi scoring 20 goals in all competitions to help the club finish fifth in the Bundesliga and secure qualification to the Europa League.
Awoniyi became Nottingham Forest’s first signing back in the Premier League in 2022, joining for a then club record £17million, after they ended their 23-year exile from the top flight.
The forward admitted he had only confided in his brother Victor about the move before travelling to Greece to meet Forest owner Marinakis for fear his dream would again be dashed.
With both Forest and Awoniyi having endured long waits for Premier League football, the Nigerian forward fittingly scored their first goal back in the top flight when he netted in a 1-0 win over West Ham in August 2022.
Awoniyi scored Nottingham Forest’s first goal back in the top flight against West Ham in 2022
The forward netted against his boyhood club Arsenal to secure Forest’s top flight status
The Nigeria international has said he will ‘never forget’ that moment in his life
His haul of 10 Premier League goals proved vital in helping keep Nottingham Forest in the 2022-23 campaign. Awoniyi secured their survival by scoring the only goal in a 1-0 win over Arsenal at the City Ground in their penultimate match of the campaign.
Awoniyi’s match winning effort also ended the title challenge of his boyhood club Arsenal.
‘A lot of my friends called me that day and said “Taiwo, you finally scored against your team”,’ told the BBC last year.
‘Those goals will not come without the help of my team-mates, because it’s a team effort, but it’s a moment I’m very proud of.
‘That goal was the most important for me, because that was the game that kept us in the league and that I will never forget in my life.’
Awoniyi’s time at Forest, however, has been impacted a series of injuries with the forward missing large chunks of time during his three seasons at the club. He had also suffered a worrying injury during a loan spell at Mainz in 2020, where he was stretched off with a severe concussion.
The impact of the injuries has been felt by those around him as well.
His wife Taiye, who Awoniyi married in 2018, admitted when speaking to Nottingham Forest last year that the injury setbacks are emotional for the whole family.
Awoniyi met his wife Taiye at school and the couple have been married since 2018
Taiye admits following her husband’s career has been emotional, highlighting a serious concussion he suffered in 2020 among the difficult moments
Awoniyi fought through several obstacles in his career to make it as a Premier League star
‘It has not always been easy with injuries, the ups and downs,’ said Taiye, with whom Awoniyi has two children.
Being a footballer’s wife is not always easy, there are difficult moments. We are emotional when they are down, when they are down physically, we are down.’
Taiye, who studied at the Kwara State Polytechnic University, has been a key supporter of Awoniyi during his career, particularly during his six seasons on loan as he searched for a permanent club.
Taiye and the Awoniyi’s close family all moved to England following his move to Nottingham Forest.
The close knit family unit that have supported Awoniyi throughout his career will no doubt be leaned on again as the Forest striker continues his recovery in hospital.
