Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has heaped praise on Taiwo Awoniyi after his goal saw Nottingham Forest defeat the Champions League finalists.
The Nigerian striker was on the books at Anfield but left in 2021 without making a first-team appearance.
Awoniyi scored his third goal of the campaign yesterday, with all three of his goals coming at the City Ground.
Work permit issues robbed him of the chance to shine at Liverpool and it was his spell at Union Berlin that saw him start to shine.
He scored 18 times last season in the Bundesliga and that prompted Forest to sign him in the summer.
His £17.5 million price tag has come into question given that he’s not been playing regularly.
Still, he’s now proved to be worth his weight in gold, with Forest claiming a big three points against Liverpool.
Klopp was quizzed on Awoniyi after yesterday’s game and he was full of praise for the striker.
The Liverpool boss told BBC: “He’s had a sensational development. He has arrived where he belongs and I am happy for him, but not today so much.”
Awoniyi is a real handful in the Forest attack and yesterday he gave Joe Gomez a torrid time.
Now, the young striker simply needs to keep grasping his opportunities to shine when they do come along.
Klopp praise for Awoniyi should give him confidence
The talisman was an interesting signing when Forest paid Union Berlin £17.5 million for him in the summer.
He was probably seen as a replacement for Keinan Davis, although they do have different strengths.
Awoniyi has now scored three times and this praise from Klopp should give him the confidence to score more.
The 25-year-old is a real workhorse and plenty of fans want to see him get a run of games in the team.
Awoniyi never got the chance to play in front of the Liverpool fans at Anfield.
Yesterday, however, he showed the club exactly why they should have perhaps persisted with him a little while longer.
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