Liverpool fans never got the chance to see imposing striker Taiwo Awoniyi feature for Jurgen Klopp’s men in a competitive game of football – a reality some may rue after the Nigerian opened his scoring account in the English top-flight with the winning goal in 1-0 win over West Ham.
The 25-year-old shared his frustrations around waiting for a work permit in order to feature for the German’s outfit, sadly to no avail for several years.
“It was frustrating because every summer I’d be in pre-season training at Liverpool waiting to see how it goes with the permit,” the former Red told The Telegraph.
“I hadn’t played for my national team or in any of Europe’s top five leagues. In the end I’d have to go out on loan, but in life I have been in more difficult situations than that.
“I’ve always believed I would play in the Premier League. It has always been my biggest target as a football player. I’m a Christian and part of what keeps me going is my belief in God and my passion for what I do.”
The forward amassed an impressive tally from his most recent spell prior to agreeing a return to England, hitting 15 goals in 31 Bundesliga appearances for Union Berlin last term.
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Having made a promising start to life in England, we’d be thrilled to see the former Mainz loanee deliver a big campaign to prove his worth.
It’s a shame that we never got the chance to see what a forward line with Awoniyi as a rotating option (and, perhaps, a potential starter, had performances proved encouraging enough) might have looked like.
That being said, Liverpool did get their ‘plan B’ in the end with the acquisition of highly-rated attacker Darwin Nunez, one we’ll be greatly looking forward to watching on a regular basis beyond his current suspension.