'There's a reason' - Lampard reveals why Awoniyi left Nottingham Forest for Coventry City
Coventry City boss Frank Lampard has revealed why Taiwo Awoniyi decided to leave Nottingham Forest, stressing the Nigerian striker’s desire to secure consistent playing time ahead of the upcoming 2026/2027 campaign.
The Nigerian international moved to the CBS Arena during the current summer window following an impressive end to the 2025/2026 campaign, scoring three goals and providing two assists in his final six appearances.
Speaking ahead of Coventry City’s Premier League opener against Arsenal, Lampard praised the Nigerian international’s qualities, highlighting his impressive performance against Chelsea during his time as manager of the Blues.
“In terms of Taiwo, we know him from his Premier League experience. He scored against my team before when I was at Chelsea. I always felt that he is a threat as an opponent,” he revealed.
He added that the newly-promoted club decided to sign the Nigerian striker because of his Premier League experience, highlighting the power and strength Awoniyi brings to the team.
“When you look across our recruitment idea, we wanted to bring in Premier League experience. Power and strength, a player that can hold the ball up and I think he is very valuable. ”
Lampard revealed that the former Union Berlin striker joined the Sky Blues in search of regular playing time.
“There is a reason why Taiwo left Nottingham Forest and come 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,” he added.
“So, I like a player that is hungry to play and get his minutes, of course, we have to look after him and prepare him. But, I like a player that wanted to be the man and play more minutes. ”
Awoniyi endured a difficult campaign at Nottingham Forest, with his chances of regular football limited by the presence of Chris Wood and Brazilian forward Igor Jesus.
Ahead of Coventry City’s first league game at the Emirates Stadium, Awoniyi will be keen to repay Lampard’s faith, rediscover his best form and establish himself as a key figure for the newly-promoted Premier League side.
Adeyemi Adewale
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