Taiwo Awoniyi Plans to Stay in England

Taiwo Awoniyi, striker for Nottingham Forest, is likely to stay in England after his contract ends next summer. He aims to qualify for a British passport, according to former Super Eagles player Seyi Olofinjana, as reported by PUNCH Sports Extra.

Awoniyi joined Forest from Union Berlin in June 2022 for a club-record fee of £17 million. He has had some memorable moments in the club’s recent Premier League history. Even though injuries have slowed him down at times, he is still a key player at the City Ground.

Olofinjana, who discovered Awoniyi when he was a teenager and has guided his career for over ten years, said the striker wants to stay in England long enough to get British citizenship.

“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.”

According to UK immigration rules, Awoniyi must live and work in England for five continuous years to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR). His qualifying period started when he signed for Nottingham Forest in July 2022. This means he can apply for ILR in July 2027.

After holding ILR for another 12 months, he can then apply for British citizenship. If the immigration rules do not change, he could get a British passport around July 2028. This timeline fits with his current long-term plans at Forest, making a move away from England unlikely before then.

Olofinjana’s connection with Awoniyi goes back to 2010. He spotted the striker after he was named Most Valuable Player at a Coca-Cola youth tournament in Nigeria. Olofinjana invited him to the Imperial Soccer Academy in Sango-Ota. At the academy, Awoniyi received professional coaching, better nutrition, and the structure needed to kickstart his career.

Five years later, Olofinjana helped him secure a move to Liverpool, even with interest from clubs like Monaco and Porto. Although Awoniyi spent six years on loan in Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands due to work permit issues, Olofinjana remained one of his closest advisers.

Nottingham Forest also has solid reasons to keep Awoniyi. He suffered a serious abdominal injury in May 2025, which required emergency surgery and a stay in intensive care. Despite this, he made a comeback just five months later.

Last season, he took on a super-sub role behind Chris Wood, scoring four Premier League goals and providing one assist in 17 league matches. His memorable moments include a brace off the bench in a 3-1 win over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

Over four Premier League seasons with Forest, Awoniyi has scored 21 goals and made five assists in 90 league appearances. His highlight moments include the goal that secured Forest’s Premier League survival against Arsenal in 2023. He also became the first player since Stan Collymore in 1995 to score in six consecutive Premier League matches.

The 2026 pre-season could be important for him. New manager Oliver Glasner has included him in his plans. He took him to the club’s training camp in Spain and gave him the captain’s armband for the second half of Forest’s 3-0 friendly win over Blackburn Rovers, where Awoniyi also scored.