Nigerian international Ademola Lookman dazzled Atalanta Bergamo fans during the Europa League final this Wednesday, May 22 against Bayer Leverkusen (3-0). A resounding hat-trick to finally confirm the full extent of his talent.
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Ademola Lookman will go down in the history books as the first African player to score a hat-trick in the final of a European competition. “ We all did it togetherstill declared the striker of the Lombard club at the microphone of Sky Sport. We wrote history, the trophy returns with us to Bergamo. It’s incredible. Last season was already a great season and we managed to win a title, it’s fantastic, we’re going to celebrate. »
Player with a chaotic path
Ademola Lookman was born on October 20, 1997 in Wandsworth, a south London suburb, to Nigerian parents. Before becoming the first player to score a hat-trick in a European Cup final since Jupp Heynckes, in 1975, with Borussia Mönchengladbach, he had already offered a final in the African Cup of Nations last February against Ivory Coast. Placed to the left of Victor Osimhen, he scored a double against Cameroon in the round of 16. In the next round, he had eliminated Angola with the only goal of the meeting.
In Ivory Coast, Ademola Lookman started six times out of seven with the Super Eagles. Before wearing the Nigeria jersey, he played for England. With the under-20s, he won the World Cup in 2017.
His hat-trick against the “Invincibles” of Leverkusen crowned the non-linear rise of a player who was still young (26 years old), with a path that had hitherto been chaotic. “ No one imagined he would make so much progress “, conceded his coach Gian Piero Gasperini, who saw the Nigerian international arrive from Leicester in 2022.
Confidence in one’s abilities to create
Lookman started professionally at Everton before being loaned to Leipzig, returning to Everton, returning permanently to Leipzig to be loaned to Fulham, then Leicester, never managing to express his potential which had nevertheless allowed him to integrate all youth selections in England.
“ Over the last two years the club and coach have supported me by giving me the playing time and support to play football and show my style of playLookman explained. It took me to a whole new level and I’m grateful for that. “.
“ I have always had confidence in my ability to create, to score goals, to help my teammates », admitted the left winger, a few minutes after his festival at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin, the former Lansdowne Road, where he quickly cooled the 12,000 German supporters who came to witness the announced coronation of Bayer, undefeated this season in 51 meetings before that of Wednesday. This is only the sixth time that a player has scored a hat-trick in a European Cup final.
“ Over the last two years I have been able to take my game to a whole new level. Maybe it could have happened sooner, but it’s happening now. But this is only the beginning. I hope to have more nights like this and continue to improve “, he indicated, returning to his winding path before his explosion these last two seasons in Bergamo.