The name Ademola Lookman is echoing across the footballing planet. The once-great talent of Charlton Athletic, whose development was once taken over by Everton, defeated the Invincibles last night. In a perfectly set match by Gian Piero Gasperini, in which every screw of Atalanta’s machinery in Dublin was perfectly tightened, he – that light-footed Nigerian who was laughed at by the whole of Europe less than four years ago – took the spotlight.Ademola Olajade Alade Aylola Lookman is a very special player, although, for the masses, he ‘resurrected’ in this final against Leverkusen, and with his three goals put an end to Bayer Leverkusen’s record. And that’s not all he did lately – with nine goals in 29 games he has had a great Serie A campaign, even stringing three consecutive braces in January, one against Juventus (3-3).Lookman was born in Wandsworth, England and even won the under-20 World Cup with this country in 2017. Ademola, in fact, was an under-19, under-20 and under-21 international with England, but he got tired of waiting for the Three Lions call-up at the senior level.He has already collected 21 caps and six goals for Nigeria.”My parents are Nigerians and I went many times as a child… but it was a difficult decision,” the 26-year-old said before making his debut with the Super Eagles in March 2022.##NAJAVA_MECA_8117850##As a professional, he has always shown signs of greatness – he scored on his debut with Everton in the Premier League and in his debut in the Bundesliga with RB Leipzig. He also found the back of the net in his first Serie A match with Atalanta, but more importantly, with the Goddess, he has managed to consolidate himself. He arrived in the summer of 2022 for nine million euros and has accumulated five goals in 11 games in this Europa League campaign.Strangely enough, in England, he scored 11 goals in five seasons in the Premier League…When he arrived in Italy, he immediately imposed himself as one of the candidates for the Capocannoniere award (Serie A top scorer). Never had an African player been proclaimed ‘top scorer’ in the ‘calcio’ elite – until his countryman Victor Osimhen did it with Napoli a year ago.Lookman did not have it easy as a child, before joining the Charlton Athletic youth academy.”My mother worked precarious jobs and we lived in a deprived area of London. It was difficult because the fridge was always empty. I often went to eat at friends’ houses. She taught me what the word sacrifice means, I am very grateful to her. She never complained or showed any sign of weakness.”Ademola Lookman celebrating with his mom 🤗 pic.twitter.com/Ez0DEHQ4OG— B/R Football (@brfootball) May 22, 2024 His performance struggles in the Premier League could all be summed up in one moment in 2020. It was a cold London evening and a small city derby at the Olympic Stadium between West Ham and Fulham. The Cottagers were on the verge of defeat, and then in the eighth minute of stoppage time, they got a chance for a draw. Standard penalty taker Aleksandar Mitrović gave the ball to the Nigerian. Instead of a sure goal, one of the more embarrassing moments in recent football history happened. It was an immature, childish, completely irrational move by the then-22-year-old Lookman.At the time, it was valid proof that Lookman’s talent would fade from season to season instead of the opposite. The very next summer, he went to Leicester, spent a year there, and did not make a difference. Atalanta gave him a lifeline in August 2022. He accepted the opportunity even though English talent was not well received in the Apennines. Lookman began to defy that narrative. He blew everyone away last night in the Europa League final—especially Xabi Alonso’s Leverkusen.UEL: Look, man, what Lookman did to until-tonight Invincible Neverloosen!Two quick goals in the 12th and 26th minutes, and then a rocket into Kovar’s, launched him among the selected few, among the magnificent six who scored a hat-trick in the European cup finals. Because there is nothing more magnificent than bringing the cup to your team with such authority.Since last night, alongside Alfredo di Stefano (Real Madrid 1960), Ferenc Puskas (Real Madrid 1960/4 goals), 1962), Pierino Prati (Milan 1969), and Jupp Heynckes (Monchengladbach 1975) – stands the name of a son of Nigerian parents.Vicente Gulliot (Valencia 1962) and Luis Pujol (Barcelona 1966) are also worth mentioning, but the two scored three times each in the final of the Cup of Fair Cities, a competition under the auspices of FIFA. Hat-tricks in the finals were also scored by Liverpool’s Terry McDermott in 1977 and Atletico Madrid’s Radamel Falcao in 2012, but those were European Super Cups.Atalanta winger Ademola Lookman reacts to his trophy-winning hat-trick against Bayer Leverkusen 💭 pic.twitter.com/i2QAxBeS4C— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) May 23, 2024
