Nottingham Forest forward Taiwo Awoniyi has admitted it was a dream for him to score his first goal which earned the promoted side a 1-0 Premier League victory against West Ham United on Sunday.
The 25-year-old Nigeria international was handed his full debut for the Reds in the fixture at The City Ground and he did not disappoint as he scored the goal which helped secure their first top-flight victory since 1999.
Having started on the bench before coming on in the season opener away to Newcastle United which they lost 2-0, Awoniyi, who joined the Reds from Bundesliga outfit Union Berlin, replaced Sam Surridge in the starting XI for the Hammers test.
The Super Eagle then capitalised on a defensive mix-up inside West Ham's danger zone and scored Forest's first league goal at The City Ground since Chris Bart-Williams' winner against Leicester City in May 1999.
“I’m really happy about the goal — it was a dream for me to score and for the team to win,” Awoniyi revealed his happiness in a post-match conference as captured by the club's Online TV and posted on their social media pages.
“As a striker, you just have to be ready for anything around the goal. It’s all about getting ready whether you are starting or coming on from the bench."
Awoniyi further revealed why he was proud of himself by stating: “I’m really happy about it because it took me a long journey to get back to the Premier League and I’m very, very proud of myself.
“The win will give more confidence to the team; it will keep us going for the next game. I believe we will have a great season as a team.
“We must say a very big thank you to the fans because from the beginning they got behind the team and you can see how it kept the team going until the last minute."
Awoniyi played for 72 minutes before he was replaced by Surridge. The Super Eagle will hope to earn a starting role when the Reds travel to face Everton at Goodison Park on Saturday.
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