Taiwo Awoniyi has waited a long time for this opportunity.
About six years, to be precise.
The Nigerian striker joined Liverpool in 2015 but it is only now, in 2021, that he has had the chance to catch Jurgen Klopp’s eye.
Awoniyi was part of a 34-man Reds squad which reported for pre-season training in Austria on Monday and, in the absence of the likes of Roberto Firmino and Diogo Jota, is expected to be given minutes in the forthcoming friendly matches, which begin next week with two 30-minute mini-games, behind-closed-doors, against FC Wacker Innsbruck and Stuttgart.
He is excited at the prospect, and why wouldn’t he be? His journey to this point has been a long one, involving seven loan spells in three different countries. At 23, he has already seen more of Europe than most.
A powerful, hard-working forward, Awoniyi has already racked up 139 professional appearances. He has scored 34 senior goals, with his most productive spells coming in two stints at Belgian side Mouscron, where he netted 21 times in 47 outings.
He spent last season in the Bundesliga, where he featured regularly for Union Berlin before a hamstring injury disrupted his campaign. He returned for the final weeks, finishing with five goals in 22 appearances.
It has been a lengthy process, but a relaxation of work permit rules, post-Brexit, mean new avenues have now been opened, both for Awoniyi and for Liverpool.
The Reds, Goal understands, have already fielded numerous enquiries about him. Fulham, West Brom and Stoke are among a host of English clubs to have expressed interest, while he retains plenty of admirers in Germany, where he has featured for FSV Frankfurt and Mainz in addition to his year at Union Berlin.
Getty/Goal
Liverpool rejected a bid of £4.5m ($6.2m) from Anderlecht back in May, and believe Awoniyi is worth at least £7m ($9.7m) given his exploits in recent seasons.
Had it not been for that hamstring injury, picked up in training with Union Berlin in February, Reds sources believe he would have received a senior Nigeria call-up.
Awoniyi has represented his country with distinction at youth level, winning the U17 World Cup in Dubai back in 2013, when his strike partner was Kelechi Iheanacho, now of Leicester.
Liverpool spotted him at the U20 World Cup in New Zealand in 2015, and eventually paid £400,000 ($550,000) to secure him. Awoniyi was playing for the Imperial Soccer Academy, and had been set to train with Swedish side Kalmar before the Reds’ offer came through.
Since then, his has been a nomadic existence, with work permit rules meaning he has not been allowed to spend more than two weeks on Merseyside at any one time.
He headed for Frankfurt first, then to NEC Nijmegen in the Eredivisie. Then came those encouraging spells with Mouscron, sandwiched by a less-productive half-season with Gent, before two seasons in the Bundesliga with Mainz and Union.
An eloquent speaker and a conscientious trainer, he spent time with Liverpool’s U23 side at Kirkby last summer, impressing coaches with his attitude, fitness and technical quality.
He is known to spend hours studying strikers across the world, with Romelu Lukaku, Robert Lewandowski and, naturally, Firmino particular favourites.
Awoniyi has described himself in the past as “a striker who always plays for the team”, which will no doubt be music to Klopp’s ears.
He is quick, strong, runs the channels well and his touch and hold-up play is said to have improved markedly during his time in the Bundesliga.
With a host of first-team players still on holiday following the European Championship and Copa America, the likes of Awoniyi have a chance to make their mark.
A Liverpool future may be beyond him, truth be told, but there will be plenty watching his performances this summer with interest. He, like several others in Klopp’s squad, is firmly in the shop window
And let’s face it, when you wait as long as Awoniyi has to pull on that red jersey, nobody can say you haven’t earned your shot.
Good luck to him.
