Awujo’s soccer journey takes her to the Theatre of Dreams

The Theatre of Dreams lived up to the billing for Canadian international Simi Awujo.

Last month, as the 21-year-old midfielder prepared to sub into the match for Manchester United in her professional debut, she turned to teammate Rachel Williams and said one word.

“Dreams.”

Awujo grew up cheering for United and also has family in England who support the club. When she was younger, she attended a Manchester United camp and visited Old Trafford, where she took a picture.

“It was surreal… I don't think that version of me would have ever thought that I would be able to play and step on that pitch,” Awujo told TSN. “Just thinking about myself being in the stands at one point to now being on the field is life changing.”

After three seasons playing in the NCAA with the University of Southern California, Awujo, a dual national who grew up in Atlanta, decided to forgo her final year of college and make the jump to the professional ranks.

Awujo signed with United in early August, a week after Canada was eliminated at the Paris Olympics. She has appeared in all three games for the Red Devils this season, coming off the bench in two Women’s Super League (WSL) matches, and earning her first start last week in a 2-0 win against Liverpool in the FA Women’s League Cup.

“To believe that was Simi’s first start – she played like she played 50 games already,” United head coach Marc Skinner said following the match.

The decision to leave USC didn’t come lightly for Awujo.

“I did love where I was at university, but I feel like the timing was everything, coming off the back of an Olympics and just having that experience under my belt and being able to transition to a pro environment from there,” she said.

Awujo had opportunities to turn professional earlier in her collegiate career, but she wanted to pursue her academic goals. She studied computer science and business while attending USC and is continuing to work on her degree remotely.

While it was bittersweet for Awujo to leave before her senior year, the opportunity to join a historic club like Manchester United was too good to overlook. Not only is it one of the most recognizable clubs in the world, but it was the team that Awujo grew up supporting, along with her older brother and her aunt’s family, who live in London.

“There was a lot of that nostalgia and memories, so that led into my decision a lot,” she said.

Also helping her decision was Canadian teammate Jayde Riviere, who joined United last year. Like Awujo, Riviere opted to forgo her collegiate senior year, although Riviere’s decision was injury-related. She signed with United in January 2023.

“She just told me that, ultimately, the decision that I made would never be a bad decision – whether I decided to stay, whether I decided to go,” Awujo said. “And she highly praised the girls here and that that was probably one of the best parts of being here.”

Awujo made her professional debut on Sept. 21, two days before her 21^st birthday, playing 13 minutes off the bench in a 3-0 win over West Ham. A week later, she featured for 23 minutes as a substitute in a 1-0 victory against Everton.

Last week, in her first start for the club, she played 71 minutes, and according to Sofascore, connected on 21 of her 25 passes for 84 per cent accuracy.

Despite seeing the pitch in every match so far in the young season, Awujo admits that the speed of the game has been a major adjustment.

“It's challenged me to make decisions quicker, play quicker, think quicker,” she said. “But there are some positive moments that I can lean into and take with me as I continue to grow here.”

Skinner believes Awujo can be a big part of the future for United, but she still has work to do.

“She can be a box-to-box midfielder, she can control, she can create. For me, it’s just how quickly she settles,” he told football writer Chris Brookes. “It’s just about getting up to speed of how quickly the ball’s coming… It’s not necessarily the international game, it’s from college. I feel that she’ll be ready, and I think you’re going to see an incredible footballer.”

Awujo has already shown signs of emerging stardom with the Canadian national team. Since making her debut with the senior team in 2022, she has totalled 20 appearances and eight starts, with six of those coming this year.

She started in two of Canada’s four matches at the Paris Games, including the quarter-final against Germany. In that game, where Canada was eliminated on penalties, Awujo won 14 of 19 total duels and recorded two key passes, including setting up Adriana Leon for a breakaway chance.

“She's a game changer for our team,” captain Jessie Fleming told TSN. “I definitely think she stepped up… That was a really nice glimpse of what Simi is capable of, and I'm sure she'll just continue to get better.

“I think she's a bit more comfortable asking for the ball and just dictating her position on the pitch and being brave. For us, when she's able to get turned and is dribbling at backlines, she's really dangerous.”

Last year, a 19-year-old Awujo was named to Canada’s roster for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. Although she didn’t see any time on the pitch, Awujo still took away plenty of lessons.

“I think just kind of navigating that experience – being there as someone on the team, but not necessarily someone that featured – was something that helped me grow and realize what my role in this team could be,” she said.

Her teammates have noticed that growth over the past couple of years and credit the maturity of the young midfielder.

“Everything Simi does, she does it at an extreme professionalism,” forward Cloé Lacasse told TSN. “She's always taking notes. She's always listening…. But now she's growing. So, she's also asking questions. She's having a voice.

“I think that's been the biggest shift – she's getting that, I want to say, almost a quiet confidence. We're starting to hear Simi a little bit more.”

It was a difficult Olympics to navigate for Awujo and her teammates, as the players were forced to deal with sanctions handed down by FIFA, including a year-long suspension to head coach Bev Priestman, after allegations of spying by members of the Canadian staff

Awujo credits the team’s comradery as a main factor in overcoming the off-field distractions. She specifically points to Fleming as a key mentor for her – not just during the Olympics, but in her international career – noting that the Canadian captain is someone she has looked up to for many years.

Fleming, who made her national team debut when she was just 15, has noticed similarities between Awujo and herself around the same age.

“I think Simi is definitely an overthinker at times,” Fleming said. “I can see some of the things that I maybe used to stress out about on the pitch, and after games, if I wasn't happy with how I played.

“I just try to help her see that she is such a gifted player, and just to give herself a bit of grace as her role with the national team builds… Just wanting her to be kind to herself and see what an amazing player and person she is.”

Awujo admits that she often puts undue pressure on herself, especially when she was younger. Part of her maturity as a player has been changing her mentality on the pitch.

“I think just recognizing that pressure is a privilege, that being in this environment… is something that I shouldn't take for granted,” she said. “Even when there is that pressure, just remembering to enjoy it and to lean into it, because if there wasn't pressure, then it wouldn't matter to me, and it wouldn't be something that I find important and joyful.”

In another similarity, Fleming also started her professional journey at a major club in the WSL, joining Chelsea after she finished in the NCAA. While she said she hasn’t spoken too much to Awujo about her WSL experience, she would offer a piece of advice.

“Lean into the experience,” Fleming said. “It's not going to be perfect, but just taking advantage of being surrounded by a lot of good players and good competition… She'll learn and grow, even if it's not always in the way that you anticipate.”