Coventry City manager, Frank Lampard has revealed why Taiwo Awoniyi left Nottingham Forest for Coventry.
He said the Nigerian was frustrated at Forest over a lack of game time and was ambitious to secure consistent playing time.
The Nigerian international made the move to the CBS Arena during the current summer transfer window following his end-of-season performances for Forest, where he netted three goals and provided two assists in his last six matches.
In a pre-match press briefing ahead of Coventry City’s Premier League opener against Arsenal, Lampard commended the Nigerian international’s attributes, particularly noting his impressive performance against Chelsea during his (Lampard) tenure as manager of the Blues.
“Regarding Taiwo, we are familiar with his Premier League background. He has scored against my team in the past when I was at Chelsea. I have always regarded him as a significant threat as an opponent,” he stated.
He further explained that the newly promoted club opted to recruit the Nigerian striker because of his Premier League experience, emphasising the power and strength that Awoniyi brings to the team.
“When evaluating our recruitment strategy, we aimed to incorporate Premier League experience. We sought power and strength, a player capable of holding the ball up, and I believe he is immensely valuable,” he added.
Lampard indicated that the former Union Berlin striker joined the Sky Blues in pursuit of regular playing time.
“There is a reason why Taiwo left Nottingham Forest and came to us. We really like him and hope he’s going to be great for us. We are aware of that, and I would flip that to the mental side of Taiwo. Probably, he is frustrated with game time.
“Thus, I appreciate a player who is eager to play and secure his minutes. Naturally, we must take care of him and prepare him. However, I value a player who aspires to be the key figure and play more minutes,” he stated.
Awoniyi faced a challenging season at Nottingham Forest, with his opportunities for regular football curtailed by the presence of Chris Wood and Brazilian forward, Igor Jesus.