Ademola Olajade Alade Aylola Lookman, born 20 October 1997 is a Nigerian professional footballer who currently plays as a winger for Atalanta, a team in Italy’s Serie A.
Although he was born in England, Ademola plays for the Nigeria national team. He was born in Wandsworth, Greater London, to Nigerian parents and attended St Thomas the Apostle College in Peckham, having done well, achieving three A*s and five As at GCSE.
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Ademola Lookman Club Career:
Ademola Lookman started his club career, by joining Charlton Athletic’s academy in 2014. Before this, he played for Waterloo, a youth football club in Lambeth, London.
Lookman impressed Charlton with his goal-scoring abilities for the U18 and U21 teams, which led to his rapid rise through the academy ranks.
He made his first-team debut for Charlton on 3 November 2015. A month later, on 5 December 2015, he scored his first goal for Charlton in a match against Brighton & Hove Albion, although the team lost 3-2.
Just ten days after that, Lookman scored twice in a 2-2 draw with Bolton Wanderers. On 5 January 2017, Lookman signed with Everton on a four-and-a-half-year contract.
The transfer fee was undisclosed but was reported to be an initial £7.5 million, which could rise to £11 million with add-ons.
Lookman made his debut for Everton ten days later in a 4-0 victory over Manchester City, coming on as a substitute for Ross Barkley in the 90th minute and scoring the team’s fourth goal.
He made his first European appearance for Everton in a 1-0 win over MFK Ružomberok in the Europa League. In January 2018, despite Everton’s manager Sam Allardyce initially stating that Lookman would not be leaving on loan, the club arranged a move to Derby County.
However, Lookman wanted a different opportunity and instead joined the German Bundesliga club RB Leipzig on loan until the end of the 2017-18 season.
Lookman made an immediate impact, scoring the winning goal in his first game for Leipzig against Borussia Mönchengladbach after coming on as a late substitute.
His successful stint at RB Leipzig led to his permanent return to the club on 25 July 2019 with a five-year contract. Yet, the following season, on 30 September 2020, he returned to the Premier League, joining Fulham on a season-long loan.
He scored his first goal for Fulham in a league match against Sheffield United on 18 October. On 31 August 2021, Lookman went on another loan, this time to Leicester City for the season.
He made his debut for Leicester on 11 September 2021 as a substitute in a match against Manchester City, which Leicester lost 1-0.
On 28 December 2021, Lookman scored the only goal in a 1-0 win over Liverpool. On 4 August 2022, Lookman moved to Serie A club Atalanta with a four-year contract for a reported fee of €15 million.
He had a great start, scoring on his debut in a 2-0 win over Sampdoria on 13 August. Lookman continued to impress in January 2023, scoring two goals each in three consecutive matches: an 8-2 win over Salernitana in Serie A, a 5-2 win over Spezia in the Coppa Italia, and a 3-3 draw against Juventus in Serie A.
His remarkable form helped Atalanta reach the Europa League final. On 22 May 2024, Lookman achieved a career milestone, scoring his first hat-trick in the Europa League final at Dublin Arena, leading Atalanta to a 3-0 victory over Bayer Leverkusen.
This win was Atalanta’s first European trophy in the club’s history, and Lookman became the first player to score a hat-trick in a one-legged European final since Pierino Prati in 1969.
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Ademola Lookman International Career:
Lookman first played internationally for England. His journey began when he was called up to the England U19 squad for a match against Mexico.
Later that summer, he was included in the squad for the European U19 Championships. This was the beginning of Lookman’s international career.
In early 2017, Lookman had the chance to play for Nigeria but decided to stick with England. The Nigerian national coach, Gernot Rohr, tried to convince him to switch allegiances, but Lookman declined.
Instead, he continued to represent England and was selected for the England under-20 team for the 2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup.
Lookman had a successful tournament, scoring three goals, two against Costa Rica in the last 16 and one against Italy in the semi-finals.
England won the tournament, defeating Venezuela 1-0 in the final, marking England’s first global tournament victory since the 1966 World Cup.
Later in 2017, Lookman was called up to the England under-21 team for European Championship qualifiers against the Netherlands and Latvia.
He made his debut in the first match, assisting his Everton teammate Dominic Calvert-Lewin for England’s only goal in a 1-1 draw. Despite the interest from Nigeria, Lookman continued to play for England’s youth teams.
In early 2018, Lookman again turned down Nigeria after meeting with the president of the Nigeria Football Federation.
In September 2018, he rejected Nigeria’s approaches for the third time. England’s senior manager, Gareth Southgate, convinced him that he was part of England’s plans.
However, in January 2020, the Nigeria Football Federation announced that Lookman would switch his international allegiance to Nigeria.
Despite this announcement, Lookman said he still wanted to represent England. The situation remained unclear until 10 February 2022, when FIFA approved Lookman’s request to play for the Nigerian national team.
He made his debut for Nigeria on 25 March 2022, in a goalless draw against Ghana during the third round of the African section of qualification for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Lookman was named in Nigeria’s squad for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations held in the Ivory Coast. During the tournament, Lookman was an integral player for Nigeria.
He scored both goals in Nigeria’s 2-0 win over Cameroon in the round of 16. In the quarter-final, he scored the only goal in a 1-0 victory over Angola.
Despite his efforts, Nigeria lost the final 1-2 to the Ivory Coast. For his outstanding performance in the tournament, Lookman and the entire Nigeria team were honored as Members of the Order of the Niger.
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Ademola Lookman Playing Style:
Ademola Lookman is a very exciting and versatile winger. His style of play is both dynamic and explosive. He loves to run directly at defenders, using his speed to cause problems.
Lookman’s quick feet and close control make it hard for opponents to stop him. He is also very good at finding the net, using both feet and even his head to finish chances.
Besides being a great goal scorer, Lookman is also very creative. He has a talent for unlocking defenses with his smart passes. His movement off the ball is also very clever, helping him find space and create opportunities for his teammates.
Ademola Lookman Market Value:
Ademola Lookman’s current market value is €40.00 million. This is also the highest market value he has reached so far, and the most recent update to his market value was on June 5, 2024.
Ademola Lookman Honors:
Atalanta
- 2023/2024: UEFA Europa League
England U20
- 2017: FIFA U-20 World Cup
Nigeria
- 2023: Africa Cup of Nations runner-up
Individual
- 2015/2016: LFE Apprentice of the Year (Championship)
- 2022/2023: Atalanta Player of the Season
- 2023: Africa Cup of Nations Team of the Tournament
- 2023/2024: UEFA Europa League Team of the Season
Orders
- Member of the Order of the Niger
Pataka is a consistent and avid follower of the round leather game. He communicates his passion by editing soccer posts for various soccer platforms.