Nottingham Forest striker Taiwo Awoniyi has heaped praise on Orel Mangala after the 2022/23 campaign finished on Sunday. The Reds drew 1-1 with Crystal Palace in their final game of a somewhat successful season.
Forest finished in 16th position and it’s fair to say that most supporters would have taken that. Steve Cooper’s team have picked up considerably in the final six weeks of the campaign and they’ve stayed up comfortably.
Awoniyi has really sprung to life in the final six games of the campaign. He’s found the net on six occasions and it’s quite exciting how well the player could do next season with a season in the Premier League under his belt.
Awoniyi was added to the Forest ranks from Union Berlin in the summer. He cost the club around £17.5 million and he became the first signing following promotion to the Premier League.
On Sunday, he had praise for Mangala though. He’s another player who won’t want the 2022/23 campaign to end and when he’s been fit enough to play, he’s been a real asset for the Reds.
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He also signed terms at the City Ground from the Bundesliga. He cost just £12 million and was added to the ranks from VfB Stuttgart; much to the surprise of many of the club’s supporters.
Awoniyi heaped praise on Mangala after Forest draw
The Nigerian international can always be spotted with a huge smile on his face. That was again evident on Sunday as he scored his sixth goal in as many games in the Garibaldi.
Forest can now look forward to keeping hold of players like Mangala and Awoniyi. Had they been relegated, that might have proved impossible and fortunately, Premier League football has been secured.
After Sunday’s game, Awoniyi raved about his teammate. He posted on his Instagram post, ‘big player’, showcasing that he’s a big fan of the job that the player does on the pitch.
There will be more to come from Mangala next season. He’s only 25-years-old and he’s another player that can only improve under the stewardship of Steve Cooper in the future.