Nigeria international, Taiwo Awoniyi said his focus remains playing for Liverpool as he hopes to fulfil his life-long dream of featuring in the Premier League.
The 23-year-old joined the Reds in August 2013 after helping Nigeria win the FIFA U17 World Cup that year, but he is yet to play a competitive game for the club due to the failure to secure a work permit in the UK.
Awoniyi is currently on his seventh loan spell at Union Berlin where he has scored five goals in 19 Bundesliga matches this season.
Following the review of the work permit requirements post-Brexit, the Nigeria youth star is hopeful of his chances to play for Liverpool after his regular appearances in the German top-flight this season.
“Liverpool will always be the priority for me and I am grateful to everyone at the club,” Awoniyi told World Soccer. “I still don’t have the work permit to play in England. But with the new rules in place, and the minutes I have played this season in Germany, no one knows what the future holds regarding the UK work permit.
“If I become eligible to play in the UK, I think I can have a say on what my decision will be. Things have changed remarkably with the new rules and this will certainly help me decide my next step.”
Three years ago, Awoniyi committed his long-term future to Liverpool with a contract extension that will run out in June 2023 and he believes his dream of playing in the English top-flight can still come to pass.
He added: “Presently I am still a Liverpool player until the last day of my contract, but no one knows what the future holds.
“My dream has always been to play in the Premier League and it’s why I signed for Liverpool. I still keep the dream alive but if leaving will facilitate it, why not? The future is in God’s hands and I keep my hope alive.
“At the moment it is impossible to say what might or might not happen in the future, but I trust and believe in God and that keeps all of my hopes alive.”
Packaged by Lanre Olabisi
