Taiwo Awoniyi happy to break goal drought

Nigerian striker Taiwo Awoniyi has expressed his delight at scoring his first English Premier League goal in over a year, as Nottingham Forest defeated Brentford 2-0 on Sunday.

​The 28-year-old came on as a substitute in the 68thminute for Igor Jesus, who had scored the opening goal for the Tricky Trees at the Gtech Community Stadium. Awoniyi then sealed the victory by finding the back of the net in the 80th minute.

​The goal marks a miraculous comeback for Awoniyi. Nine months ago, he suffered a life-threatening abdominal injury that resulted in a ruptured intestine following a collision with a goalpost against Leicester City. The severity of the injury led to him being placed in an induced coma last May.

“For me, I’ve always believed this is where I want to be. I’ve always believed I’m a Premier League player, no matter what is going on around me. That’s my focus.

Unfortunately, what I’ve been through over the last one and a half years, I’ve not been playing a lot, I’ve not been involved. So the coach came in and he brought me back. It’s something I’m happy about. ”

Reacting on his goal Awoniyi added that he is happy to be back in the score sheet and his believes has kept him through out his trying times.

“Getting the goal today is something I’m happy about. I’ve not been playing for a while as well. So getting to go today is something I’m really happy about.

But the most important thing is I’ve always believed in God. I’ve always believed in myself. And I always know he’ll always be there for me, no matter what.”

Despite being linked with a move away from the Premier League due to a lack of playing time since his recovery, Awoniyi’s performance on Sunday proves he remains a vital asset for Forest.