Seven years after joining Liverpool, a Nigerian striker scored his first goal in the English Premier League for Nottingham Forest.

After becoming Nottingham Forest’s record signing, Taiwo Awoniyi stated, “It’s always been my dream to play in the Premier League.” The Nigerian’s aspirations to succeed in England began much earlier than the seven years it took him to make his mark after joining Liverpool.

He has made seven loans and two permanent moves in the time since his arrival in England. As a declaration of intent to signal their intentions, Nottingham Forest spent £17.5 million on Nigerian striker Awoniyi, making him the club’s first summer acquisition.

Awoniyi, who was still a teenager at the time, was signed by Liverpool for £400,000 after performing well in the Under-20 World Cup in 2015. However, because he was unable to obtain a work permit, he was forced to lead a nomadic lifestyle, spending time on loan with teams in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany before permanently joining Union Berlin. Liverpool made infrequent appearances, participating in preseason games, but none of them resulted in a match. Despite never donning the Red shirt in a fit of rage, Awoniyi always speaks favorably of his time spent on the books at Anfield, which is a testament to his positive outlook.

He studied Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mané, and in particular Roberto Firmino last summer with Jürgen Klopp and the Liverpool first team to better himself. He learned during Liverpool’s preseason camp in Austria last summer that a player needs to be committed and work hard every day to reach the top.

Not all of Awoniyi’s loans were successful; he had to learn the hard way by ending a stint with Gent after going 16 league games without scoring. In a side that did not suit his playing style, he was typically only given time on the bench, but it was acknowledged as another learning curve. The striker has always placed a high value on his faith in God, which keeps him in constant trust in the process that brought him to where he is today.

There were many reasons Forest targeted the 25-year-old as their first-choice No 9; he has speed, stamina to press, and he scored 15 goals in 31 league games for Union Berlin last season as a result of his shrewd positioning in and around the area. The striker puts in a lot of effort off the ball, and Forest is realistic enough to realize that they will be without it for the majority of the season. His arrival at the City Ground is one of 15 signings since Forest defeated Huddersfield in the Championship playoff final, and he serves as a focal point for a group that is still trying to gel.

Awoniyi may not have anticipated that his first Premier League goal—the game-winning goal against West Ham—would come from a clearance that bounced in off his knee, but his chest-thumping celebration made it clear he didn’t care. It took me a long journey to get back to the Premier League, so I’m really happy with the goal,” he told BBC. “I’m grateful to God for it, of course, and I’m very, very proud of myself for it.” Awoniyi, who hails from a lowly background in Nigeria, has always exhibited a remarkable work ethic wherever he has competed, intent on having the opportunity to establish himself as a Premier League striker.

To sign Awoniyi, Forest had to defeat stiff competition, including rivals from the Premier League. He was brought to Athens along with his agent to meet with Cooper to discuss the part that was envisioned for him in this revamped Forest. The conversations were sufficient to persuade Awoniyi that Nottingham would be the ideal location for him to finally make an impact in the Premier League.

Four players from the Bundesliga have joined Forest this summer, including Awoniyi. Since Bundesliga clubs needed money, the club saw more value in moving to Germany where they could find ideal candidates for less money than they could in England. Forest’s first victory of the year over West Ham featured strong performances from Moussa Niakhaté and Orel Mangala as well. The trio, who range in age from 24 to 26, are primed for development and may serve as the team’s backbone for many years. Meanwhile, Omar Richards, who joined from Bayern Munich, is presently sidelined with a fractured leg.

He had to make his own play boots as a child. Even though those times are long gone, he never loses sight of his origins or his goals. Thanks to years of arduous labor in Nigeria and Europe, he now has the chance to steadily establish himself in the Premier League with a five-year contract at the City Ground. The Premier League will now serve as Awoniyi’s permanent home and hunting ground.