Taiwo Awoniyi Honoured by Nottingham Forest with Commemorative Shirt After Reaching 100-Appearance Milestone

Nottingham Forest marked a significant personal milestone for Super Eagles striker Taiwo Awoniyi on Friday, presenting the 28-year-old with a special commemorative shirt during a training session at the City Ground. Teammates and club officials gathered to honour the Nigerian forward, whose century of appearances has coincided with a pivotal period in the club’s recent history.

Awoniyi reached the 100-game mark two weeks prior, during Forest’s commanding 3-1 victory over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. The Nigerian delivered one of his most influential performances of the season on that occasion, netting twice to drive Vítor Pereira’s side to a crucial away win in the Premier League. Nottingham Forest‘s official Twitter account shared footage of the presentation on 15 May 2026, captioning the moment: “Celebrating a big milestone for T and Woody.”

Receiving the commemorative shirt, Awoniyi used the occasion to direct credit toward his teammates rather than himself. “Thank you, guys. This would not have been possible without you. For all you have done this season, for where we are, for keeping the team in the Premier League,” the striker said.

Awoniyi arrived at Nottingham Forest from Union Berlin in 2022, having built a strong reputation in the Bundesliga where his goal contributions had established him as one of the more dangerous centre-forwards in German football. His move to the City Ground coincided with Forest’s return to the Premier League following an absence of more than two decades from England’s top flight — a context that lent additional weight to each of the club’s survival battles in those early seasons back in the division.

Since joining, the Nigerian international has grown into one of the club’s most important attacking outlets, a status underlined by head coach Vítor Pereira, who has previously described Awoniyi as a “dangerous player” capable of punishing top-flight defences. His brace against Chelsea offered further evidence of that assessment, coming at a stage of the season when results carried significant implications for Forest’s final league standing.

At the international level, Awoniyi remains part of Nigeria’s Super Eagles setup, where competition for places among attacking players remains intense. His consistent performances at club level strengthen his case for selection ahead of upcoming continental and World Cup qualifying fixtures.

Reaching a century of appearances for any single club represents a mark of both durability and consistency — qualities that have not always been guaranteed for a player who spent much of his early career on loan at various clubs across Europe before finally securing a permanent move that allowed him to settle and develop. The milestone places Awoniyi among a group of players who have contributed meaningfully to Nottingham Forest’s re-establishment as a Premier League side.