Soccer
Taiwo Awoniyi’s future at Nottingham Forest has become much clearer after his mentor, Seyi Olofinjana, explained why the Super Eagles striker has no plans to leave England in the next couple of years, Soccernet.ng reports.
Awoniyi joined Forest from Union Berlin in June 2022 for a then club-record fee of £17 million and has produced some of the biggest moments in the club’s recent Premier League history. While injuries have slowed his progress at different times, he remains a notable figure at Forest.
The biggest reason behind his decision to stay is not football alone. According to Olofinjana, Awoniyi wants to remain in England long enough to qualify for a British passport. Olofinjana, who discovered Awoniyi as a teenager and has guided his career for more than a decade, made the situation clear.
“The day he gets to play in England, I told him he’ll stay there until he gets a second passport, but Nigeria will always be your home,” Olofinjana said on the Playzone podcast.
“That’s why Taiwo Awoniyi is not going anywhere. He’s going to stay in England until he gets his passport.”
Under UK immigration rules, Awoniyi must complete five continuous years of living and working in England before he can apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR). His continuous stay began when he signed for Nottingham Forest in July 2022, meaning he should become eligible for ILR in July 2027.
After holding ILR for another 12 months, he can then apply for British citizenship, putting him on course to receive a British passport around July 2028, provided immigration rules remain unchanged. The timeline matches almost perfectly with his current long-term plans at Forest, making a transfer away from England highly unlikely before then.
Soccer Mentor who shaped Awoniyi’s career sees Forest as the perfect place
Olofinjana’s influence on Awoniyi stretches back to 2010 when he spotted the striker after he was named Most Valuable Player at a Coca-Cola regional youth tournament in Nigeria. He invited the youngster to join the Imperial Soccer Academy in Sango Ota, where Awoniyi received professional coaching, better nutrition and the structure that helped launch his career.
Five years later, Olofinjana played a key role in helping him secure a move to Liverpool despite interest from clubs including Monaco and Porto. Although Awoniyi spent six years on loan in Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands because of work permit restrictions, Olofinjana remained one of his closest advisers throughout that difficult period.
Now the former Super Eagles midfielder continues to guide the striker’s career decisions. Forest also have strong football reasons for keeping Awoniyi. Despite suffering a life-threatening abdominal injury in May 2025 that required emergency surgery and time in intensive care, the Nigerian fought back to return five months later.
Last season he accepted a super-sub role behind Chris Wood, scoring four Premier League goals and providing one assist in 17 league appearances, including a memorable brace off the bench in a 3-1 victory over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
Across four Premier League seasons with Forest, Awoniyi has scored 21 goals and provided five assists in 90 league matches. Some of his most unforgettable moments include scoring the winner that secured Forest’s Premier League survival against Arsenal in 2023 and becoming the club’s first player since Stan Collymore in 1995 to score in six consecutive Premier League matches.
The 2026 pre-season could be an important one for Awoniyi. New manager Oliver Glasner has included him in his plans, took him on the club’s training camp in Spain, and handed him the captain’s armband for the second half of Forest’s 3-0 friendly win over Blackburn Rovers, where Awoniyi also scored. Every sign points to Awoniyi remaining a key part of the club’s attack until at least 2028.
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