“I started having flashbacks” — Shay Given on Taiwo Awoniyi’s injury

By Monsurah Olatunji

The news of Taiwo Awoniyi’s induced coma following a severe abdominal injury brought back vivid memories for former Newcastle goalkeeper Shay Given.

Nearly two decades ago, Given himself endured a brutal collision with West Ham’s Marlon Harewood, which led to a torn bowel—an injury so severe that his doctor compared it to the trauma experienced in a car crash.

Now a TV pundit, Given shared his personal experience with The Mirror and extended his support to Awoniyi.

“When I heard how Awoniyi’s condition deteriorated, I started having flashbacks because it sounds like a very similar injury to the one I suffered. I just want to reach out because there is nothing more painful than what he’s going through.”

Given recalled the specialist’s assessment of his own injury: “The specialist who operated on me said the only time he had seen an injury like it was after a car crash. He said it happens when you smash into something at high speed and your ribs hit the steering wheel.”

Drawing parallels, he continued, “Of course, I don’t know the full details of Taiwo’s injury, but it sounds very similar in terms of it being a result of a heavy impact. I’d just like to send my best wishes to him.

“I just hope he gets the same outcome that I did. It took me three or four months to recover, although I still have a big scar on my stomach as a permanent reminder. It could have been a lot worse… but, unlike Taiwo, I couldn’t carry on.”

Despite the serious nature of his own injury, Given defended Nottingham Forest’s medical team amid criticism of their handling of Awoniyi’s situation.

The Nigerian forward had tried to continue playing after colliding with the goalpost, due to Forest having no remaining substitutions.

This decision has been widely condemned, especially given that Anthony Elanga was offside in the lead-up to the incident.

Given offered his perspective on the matter, saying, “If a player says he’s okay, you trust him. There’s no way the doctors could have known how serious it was.”

Samuel Ahmadu

Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.

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