£17m player who Klopp sold admits he was delighted to score against Liverpool last season

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Former Liverpool striker Taiwo Awoniyi has admitted that he was delighted to have scored against the Reds last season.

Having left Liverpool for Union Berlin in 2021, Awoniyi made a £17m move to Nottingham Forest last summer. It turned out to be an excellent piece of business, with the Nigerian bagging 10 Premier League goals. Some of them proved to be absolutely crucial in keeping Forest up.

One of those was a match-winning strike against Liverpool last October. And speaking to Eagles Tracker about that game at the City Ground, Awoniyi explained his feelings around facing his former club.

“One of the best things that happened to me was signing for Liverpool,” began the 25-year-old. “Not only because they are Liverpool but because of the kind of people that work there. For me they are actually nice people. But the day I signed for Union Berlin, I knew I was no longer a Liverpool player. So, playing against Liverpool, I saw them as my opponent.

“The only thing in my head was for us to win and for me to score and eventually I was happy I scored against them. But the good thing was that almost everyone in the club [Liverpool] messaged me. Almost everyone, saying how happy they were for me and my development. That’s the thing about them. After the game, even some director messaged me. That’s Liverpool for you, they are quite nice people.

“I was so happy about that day because eventually my team won and it’s something I’m really happy about that. That day I just saw it as me playing against my opponent, that was my attitude about the game.”

Awoniyi looks back on Liverpool goal

You really couldn’t begrudge Awoniyi his moment last October. On the whole, it was one of the most chastening days of Liverpool’s whole season, but it was great to see the Nigeria international starting to hit his stride in the Premier League.

Despite spending six years as a Liverpool player, Awoniyi never managed to make an appearance for the Reds.

That was mostly down to work permit issues, but having sorted those out by summer 2021, he may have hoped to stay on and get his chance at Anfield.

In the end, that never happened. A move to Union Berlin proved to be a brilliant stepping stone for the striker though, who’s now preparing for a second season in the Premier League.

And on last year’s evidence, Liverpool may be slightly regretting their decision not to keep hold of Taiwo. If he was the match-winner in October, he was even more of a handful in the return fixture at Anfield in April.

We actually don’t think Ibrahima Konate has had a tougher game during his two years at the club so far. Awoniyi bullied and battled with Ibou in a way we haven’t often seen. It was seriously impressive.

He will have been disappointed not to have gotten on the scoresheet that day on Merseyside. But thanks to goals like the one past Alisson Becker last Autumn, Awoniyi will get another chance this coming October.