Atalanta’s Ademola Lookman completely stole the show in the Europa League final against Bayer Leverkusen last Wednesday. The Nigerian winger scored a beautiful hat trick to win Atalanta their first-ever European trophy and their second trophy in history. He became the first African player to score a hat trick in a major European Cup final since the final started being played as a single match. Lookman has etched his name in history, setting a record that would be hard to break. What’s more amazing is that all his goals were from open play and it even included a solo goal. No controversy with the VAR, no offside, no set-pieces, just quality goals from a quality player.
Atalanta lift the Europa League trophy
Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen were the favorites to win the competition going into the final but they were completely blown away by Atalanta and the brilliance of Lookman. Before the game, Leverkusen was on a historic 51-game unbeaten run across all competitions. They had not lost a single game since the beginning of the season and had already won the Bundesliga. They were two wins away from completing an invincible treble but unfortunately, that dream was dashed by Atalanta whose excellent form in the Europa League kind of went under the radar compared to Leverkusen. Atalanta beat Liverpool 3-1 across two legs of the quarter-final and defeated Marseille 4-1 in the semis to reach the final. Manager Gian Piero Gasperini had them playing some of the best football in Europe this season, finishing fourth in the Serie A, and qualifying for next season’s Champions League. Despite their great form in the competition, Leverkusen were deservedly still favorites to win which adds extra significance to the absolute demolition they were served by Atalanta in Dublin.
Ademola Lookman celebrates in front of Leverkusen fans
Xabi Alonso and the Bayer Leverkusen team leave the pitch in defeat
Enough about the match though, this piece is about Atalanta’s hat-trick hero, the man of the moment Ademola Lookman, and his journey to that spectacular display in the Europa League final.
Atalanta celebrate their hattrick hero
Atalanta win the Europa League
Lookman was born on 20 October 1997 to Nigerian parents in London. His start in football wasn’t very smooth. At the age of 16, he was still playing in the Sunday league and endured a lot of rejection from many academies. Lookman believed in his talent and pushed on. His career finally took off when he joined Charlton Athletic’s academy in 2014. He quickly rose through the ranks and made his debut for the first team in November 2015.
Lookman at Charlton Athletic
He signed with Premier League side Everton in 2017 but things didn’t go very well for him at the club. The club initially wanted to loan him to Championship side Derby County but Lookman didn’t want to play in the Championship again. He was eventually sent on loan to RB Leipzig until the end of the 2017/2018 season. In his first game for the German club, he scored the winner in an away game against Borussia Monchengladbach despite coming on as a late sub; no better way to make a debut in football than to score the winning goal
Lookman at Everton
Leipzig signed him permanently in 2019 but he was sent on loan back to the Premier League in 2020 when he played for Fulham. He was loaned to Leicester City for the next season in 2021 but he still struggled to establish himself in the first team. Things were not looking good for his career; four different clubs in four years and two season-long loans in two years did not bode well for a player looking to establish himself at the highest level of football.
Lookman at RB Leipzig
Lookman at Fulham
Lookman at Leicester City
Through all the loans and transfers Ademola Lookman represented the England national team and was part of the squad that won the Under-17 World Cup for England. Being born to Nigerian parents meant he was eligible to represent Nigeria and the Nigerian Football Federation was eager to add him to their roster. The NFF contacted him multiple times but he refused them, waiting for that England senior men’s team call-up. England Coach Gareth Southgate even contacted Lookman saying he had plans for him in the senior team.
Lookman playing for England U-20s
Lookman made all the right moves in 2022 when he switched allegiances to play for Nigeria and was signed by Italian club Atalanta. He scored on his debut for the club and has since scored 31 goals and made 13 assists for the Italian side. He has hit double digits in goals in the two seasons he has been there. He finished the 2022/2023 season with 13 goals and six assists and this season he has 10 goals and six assists to his credit in the Serie A alone. He is currently on 16 goals across all competitions for the Italian side this season counting the historic Europa League final hat trick.
Lookman moves to Atalanta
Earlier in the year, Lookman was named in Nigeria’s squad for AFCON 23 and scored three goals in the competition to help Nigeria reach the final. His goals came at crucial points and included a brace against African football juggernauts Cameroon to help his team progress. Nigeria lost the final to Ivory Coast but the incredible campaign led the Nigerian Government to award the entire team including Lookman, the title Member of the Order of the Niger (M.O.N); one of the highest honors a private citizen can receive in the country. So Lookman is a big man in his home country.
Lookman plays for Nigeria at AFCON 23
Lookman plays as a right-winger and he is fast. He uses his pace to beat opponents and is adept at cutting and curling the ball into the far post. On top of his pace, he is also technically gifted; able to manipulate the ball at his feet to beat defenders and create chances for himself and his teammates. While he favors his right foot, he can also finish with his left as well as score headers when the opportunity arises. He has very little weakness in his game. He is dynamic and versatile as a player allowing him to play in different positions upfront.
Lookman scores his first goal at the final
In the run-up to the final, Lookman had been in scintillating form scoring in the second leg of the semi-final against Marseille. Everything came to a climax in the final match. As early as the 11th minute, Lookman pounced on a ball from Zappacosta going towards Leverkusen defender Tapsoba. He came from behind the defender and punted the ball into the back of the net for Atalanta’s first goal in what would turn out to be a historic night for the player and the club. His second goal came in the 26th minute of the first half when he got on a loose ball close to the Leverkusen penalty area. Bursting past Xhaka, he worked the ball onto his right foot, and curled it into the post; a beautiful solo effort from the Nigerian. In the 75th minute, Lookman struck the ball beyond the Leverkusen goalkeeper to finish off a counter and complete his hat trick.
Lookman scores a solo goal at the Europa League final. Image credit; Getty images.
The match ended 3-0 and Lookman was deservedly named the man of the match. French media outlet L’ equipe rated his performance 10/10; a rating they’ve only given five times prior in their history. Lookman completely blew everyone away with his performance and has been the talk of football media since the match. His performance also improves his chances of winning the African Player of the Year Award later in the season. How do you think he will perform next season? Is this just a purple patch or is Lookman the real deal?