Super Eagles striker Taiwo Awoniyi is grateful for all the love and support he has been receiving as he continues to recover from a surgical procedure necessitated by an injury he suffered against Leicester City last week, Footynaija.com reports.
During Nottingham Forest’s 2-2 draw with the Foxes, Awoniyi crashed heavily into the frame of the post while trying to latch onto a cross from Anthony Elanga. Despite the apparent severity of the impact, he initially tried to carry on playing.
However, it was discovered that Awoniyi had suffered a ruptured intestine, requiring emergency surgery. He was placed in an induced coma to stabilize his condition but has thankfully regained consciousness.
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Though now recovering well, he’s unlikely to feature again this season. Despite his unlikely return, the 27-year-old revealed in an open letter penned to his well wishers that he remains in good spirits and is looking forward to making a return to the pitch.
What did Taiwo Awoniyi say?
“This season has been one of the most difficult of my career, but through it all, I have felt the love. With the grace of God, I am grateful to still be here, to still be fighting, to still be smiling, and to be in good spirits,” he wrote in a letter posted on the official Super Eagles X account.
“To my teammates, coaches, staff and the entire Forest family, thank you for your well wishes. Seeing you all on your visits to the hospital lifted my spirits more than words can say.
“Wishing the boys the very best in these last two games. Keep believing and keeping pushing. I’ma with you all the way and I cant wait to be back out there with the boys doing what I love.
“To my family, friends and football fans, thank you for the support, and to everyone back home in Nigeria who has checked in on me, prayed for me and left kind words, thank you. I see them, I feel them, and I carry them with everyday as I recover.”
While Awoniyi continues to recover, the Tricky Trees battled to a close 2-1 victory of West Ham United on Saturday afternoon to keep their hopes of UCL qualification alive. It’s going to be ‘all or nothing’ when they face fellow UCL hopefuls Chelsea in the last game of the season.
