Ademola Lookman Olajade Alade Aylola Lookman, the Nigerian winger currently plying his trade with Serie A outfit Atalanta, was born on October 20, 1997, in Wandsworth, Greater London, to Nigerian parents.
His educational journey led him to St. Thomas the Apostle College in Peckham, where he excelled with top grades at GCSE.
Lookman’s professional football journey kicked off in 2015 when he made his senior debut with Charlton Athletic in the Championship, initially playing as a forward.
His talent caught the eye of Everton, and he joined the club in January 2017, primarily operating as a winger. Despite representing England at various youth levels, Lookman switched allegiances to Nigeria in 2022.
Nicknamed “Ademola Lookman,” he has emerged as a standout performer for Nigeria in the Africa Cup of Nations, overshadowing even star striker Victor Osimhen.
Lookman’s heroics in the knockout stage, including a brace against Cameroon and a crucial goal against Angola, have propelled Nigeria to the semi-finals.
While Osimhen, the reigning African footballer of the year, has struggled to find the net in the tournament due to an abdominal injury, Lookman has stepped up admirably. With Osimhen’s availability uncertain for the upcoming clash against South Africa, Nigeria will rely heavily on Lookman’s goal-scoring prowess.
Much scrutiny has been placed on Osimhen’s goal drought and the tactical approach of coach Jose Peseiro. However, Lookman’s stellar performances have provided a ray of hope for Nigerian fans, demonstrating his ability to deliver on the big stage.
“I have chosen another strategy. The players believe in it — don’t concede goals because we will score at least one,” Peseiro said in one press briefing in Abidjan.
His team’s recent defensive solidity, marked by four consecutive clean sheets leading up to the semi-finals, is attributed to a tactical shift to a three-man central defense.
However, the standout performer at present is 26-year-old Lookman, who has emerged as the game-changer, making him indispensable to coach Peseiro’s plans.
This is particularly impressive considering Nigeria’s attacking options, which include AC Milan’s Samuel Chukwueze, Kelechi Iheanacho, and the experienced Ahmed Musa, all waiting for their chance on the bench.
Lookman’s rise to prominence may have been unforeseen, especially given the depth of talent in Nigeria’s attack. However, an injury to Victor Boniface prior to the AFCON opened the door for Lookman to seize his opportunity.
Despite individual contributions, there’s a collective sense within the Nigerian squad, with each player fully committed to the team’s goal of securing a fourth Africa Cup of Nations title for the nation with the highest population on the continent.
“We are behind each other. We don’t take anything for granted. I think that shows in our work ethic, how we fight for each other, how we defend, how we attack,” Lookman said after collecting the award for man of the match against Cameroon.
Although he wasn’t included in the Nigerian squad that exited the previous AFCON in the last 16 in Cameroon in 2022, that year marked significant changes in Lookman’s career trajectory.
Even before that tournament, the Nigeria Football Federation had been pursuing the London-born Lookman to switch allegiance, despite his previous representation of England at youth levels, a path previously taken by players like Alex Iwobi and Victor Moses.
Finally, Lookman made his debut in a crucial World Cup qualifying play-off against Ghana in March 2022, and since then, there has been no turning back for him.
“Both of my parents are Nigerian and my two older sisters were also born in Nigeria. So I was the only one out of us to be born here,” he told British newspaper The Guardian in 2021.
Lookman’s journey began at Charlton Athletic, but he soon found himself in the Premier League with Everton, where he was part of the England team that clinched victory in the Under-20 World Cup in 2017, alongside notable players like Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Dominic Solanke, and Fikayo Tomori.
After Everton, Lookman ventured to RB Leipzig, Fulham, and Leicester City before finding his footing on the international stage, coinciding with a period of peak form in his club career.
His move to Italy to join Atalanta in August 2022 proved pivotal, as he swiftly adapted and made an impact, netting 15 goals in his debut season.
This campaign, Lookman has already added seven more goals to his tally, with his performances benefiting from the guidance of coach Gian Piero Gasperini at one of Serie A’s top clubs, solidifying his place in the Nigerian national team.
“I definitely have a defensive role, to help the team within the structure, but that defensive role also allows me to attack,” Lookman told The Times in an interview last year of his club manager.
“Italian football is known for structure… They’re so drilled on structure here.”
From Bergamo to Bouake, where Peseiro’s well-drilled team face South Africa as Lookman aims to take a step closer to adding the AFCON title with Nigeria to that Under-20 World Cup winner’s medal he picked up in the colours of England.