World Soccer - UK (2021-03)

signed for Liverpool. I still keep the dream alive
but if leaving will facilitate it, why not? The
future is in God’s hands and I keep my hope
alive.
At the moment it is impossible to say what
might or might not happen in the future, but I
trust and believe in God and that keeps all of
my hopes alive.

You joined Liverpool in 2015, two years
after winning the Under-17 World Cup
with Nigeria. Do you ever wish you had
gone to another club?
Not at all. Life is all about process and learning.
I believe all the years in between are my
learning and process time and I’m still learning.
So Liverpool as always will be the best choice I
have made. If I had chosen another club I really
can’t say where I would be now, but with
Liverpool I know where I started from and
where I am presently.

You’ve said that you are proud to call
yourself a Liverpool player, but would you
rather be playing regularly than be a
non-playing member of a championship-
winning side...
Every player’s ambition is to play football and
back in Africa I always wanted to kick a ball at
any opportunity, even with no food in my
stomach. But getting to Europe I realised that
football is an investment for many, a source of

TAIWO AWONIYI

income, and to some fans it is their lifeline due

to the bond they share with their club. So to

be compensated for not making any

contribution is not fair. No joy can surpass

being on the field and making a contribution to

achieve a collective success, it completes you

as a player. I’d love to win the Premier League,

but to be rewarded without playing is not for

me.

Gernot Rohr, the Nigeria manager, is

based in Germany. Have you heard from

him since your breakthrough at Union?

Yes, he’s been in touch. I can’t really go into

Concussion...Awoniyi was knocked out in his final appearance for Mainz last season

details. All I can say is that right now my only

focus is on being successful with Union.

Do you think you’ve done enough to earn a

chance with the Nigeria senior side?

I always say with Nigeria it is a privilege and big

opportunity for any player to represent a

massive nation like ours. But in terms of when

and how close, the coaches are the ones who

know best. On the playing side, I challenge

myself to never stop learning, continue to work

hard and strive for my dreams to come true. It

remains everyone’s dream to play for his

country. Only the dead can stop hoping and

Opener...Awoniyi
celebrates after
scoring his first goal
of the season against
Cologne