Nottingham Forest summer signing Taiwo Awoniyi hopes that his arrival at the City Ground will create millions of new Reds fans in his home country of Nigeria.
The signing was the first of 11 new faces to arrive at the club this summer, with Steve Cooper building a squad to challenge in the Premier League. He signed last month from Bundesliga side Union Berlin for a fee of around £17 million.
The 24-year-old has seven caps for Nigeria, scoring two goals for his nation. The forward says that his arrival in the Premier League will attract more of Nigeria, which has a population of around 200 million, to follow the fortunes of the Reds.
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"Our fans love to watch and support Nigerians playing in the Premier League and I believe some of them will try to create a Nottingham Forest fanbase, too," Awoniyi told BBC Sport Africa .
"I know Nigerians like some clubs already, but when you have one of their own and play attractive football, you will automatically get them on your side.
"I believe they will support us, and of course I have my friends and family who were already waiting for me to play in England. It will be an exciting one for them."
Nigerians have been successful in the Premier League both in the past and currently, with supporters in the African country often picking their team based on Nigerian players. Awoniyi hopes it will be the same for his time at Forest.
"The Premier League is very big in Nigeria because of players like Kanu, Okocha, Yakubu, Yobo, Odemwingie and many others who all played here," he added.
"Many people pick their clubs depending on where a Nigerian is playing or teams the family like. We all grew up watching it and love it, and it is actually a dream come true to know that millions will be watching me now.
"I want to give my best all the time and by God's grace it will help us achieve our goals."
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