Steve Cook hates facing Taiwo Awoniyi in training with the Nottingham Forest striker posing a very physical threat.
Cook has been going through a whirlwind 2022 with Forest.
Let go by Bournemouth in January, Cook arrived to then help Forest dump Arsenal and Leicester City out of the FA Cup.
By the end of May, Cook was back in the Premier League having helped Forest secure promotion through the playoffs.
Cook then witness a staggering squad overhaul during the summer transfer window as more than 20 players joined Forest.
Steve Cook hates facing Taiwo Awoniyi
Cook saw new competition arrive for him at centre back with Moussa Niakhate, Willy Boly, Giulian Biancone and Loic Bade all arriving.
There were additions everywhere and Cook appears to have had a few battles in training with striker Taiwo Awoniyi.
Snapped up from Union Berlin after a 15-goal Bundesliga campaign last season, Awoniyi has been waiting for his Premier League chance.
The 25-year-old was once snapped up by Liverpool but work permit issues meant he was never able to make his Premier League debut for the Reds.
Awoniyi headed off to Germany but is now back in England with Forest and enjoyed a dream moment last weekend.
Awoniyi scored the only goal of the game as Forest beat his former club Liverpool 1-0 at the City Ground.
The Nigerian hitman scored from a Cook cross to secure a famous win for Forest and the defender has now opened up about Awoniyi.
Cook has told the Daily Mail that he really doesn’t enjoy marking Awoniyi during Forest’s training sessions.
Cook suggested that Awoniyi loves to throw his elbows around in training and we can only imagine that Premier League defenders are experiencing similar in games.
“I don’t enjoy marking Taiwo, you don’t want to be on the end of one of his elbows,” said Cook.
Today it’s Arsenal defenders who will have to cope with Awoniyi and he would no doubt love to add another goal to his tally after last week’s winner.