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Wirtz. Boniface. Schick. Lookman.

These were the names on the lips of everyone before the 2024 Europa League final between Leverkusen and Atalanta.

If a fortune teller had told me that a Nigerian would steal the show, my bet would have been on Victor Boniface—his team was unbeaten, and he was on fire that season. 

On that fateful night, Ademola Lookman hogged the spotlight for himself and made sure his name would forever reverberate in Bergamo folklore. 

But before Lookman became the player the world recognizes today, the Nigerian international had a tumultuous 10-year journey.

Let’s look back at Ademola Lookman’s career so far and how Gasperini turned him from a multi-club reject into a Ballon d’Or contender.

Early Beginnings

Ademola Lookman was born in Wandsworth, London, to Nigerian parents on October 20th, 1997. He discovered his passion for football at an early age, first as a hobby but soon transitioned into something more. 

Even at the time, one could tell there was a difference between him and his peers; Lookman was destined for something more.

However, pursuing his childhood dream didn’t come without its setbacks.

Although his parents remained together, his father resided in Nigeria with one of his two elder sisters while he and his other sibling remained in the care of their mother. 

Watching his mother juggle multiple jobs just to fend for Ademola and his siblings flipped a switch in him. He knew he had to make it as a footballer to ease the burden.

Football Beginnings in South London 

The Southern part of London is a hotspot for young ballers trying to navigate the abject socio-economic landscape. These young men took refuge in the 5-aside cages, where they honed their street-ball craft.

And like many who are remembered as greats in the game, Lookman started off by kicking folded socks with his friends across the streets in Peckham and Camberwell.

Together, they would play across different places around Southeast London, and beating teams in certain areas earned you some local notoriety. 

While some of his friends, despite their talents, abandoned the pursuit of professional football, his love for the game grew stronger. That resolve is as much tied to Lookman’s capabilities with the ball as to his conviction in himself. 

In football, there is little to no certainty of attaining success. But Lookman, knowing his family’s only hope for a better life hinges on his success, was prepared to walk down that road, even if he had to do it alone.

Early on, scouts from prominent academies never gave him a shout. So in 2008, he began playing Sunday League football for Waterloo FC, a local youth side in Lambeth. This experience helped Lookman hone his natural feel for the fundamentals of the game.

Although Lookman was worried his dream of playing professionally was dwindling with every passing year, he remained at the youth club until 2014.

While some players may have taken that setback as a sign to switch to a different path, Lookman’s determination to succeed drove him to keep pushing. 

He was grounded in the game long before the spotlight found him. And with the way he was tearing amateurs apart at a young age, it was just a matter of time before a professional club took notice.

Lookman’s Charlton Breakthrough 

On a Friday afternoon in April 2014, Charlton Athletic Academy’s season was coming to a close, and they were set to play their annual match against the London County FA. Waterloo FC was the county’s representative for that year. 

This was the moment Lookman had been waiting for his entire life—the chance to sink or swim with scouts watching. 

With his experience in street football, he stood out among his peers. His confidence on the ball and blistering pace drew gasps from the spectators and drew a few nods of approval from the viewing audience. 

One of the impressed spectators was Steve Avory, former Charlton academy director. 

Steve Avory recalls Lookman’s wow factor being “his ability to not just beat one player but beat multiple players”. 

Although the youngster could not find the back of the net as his side lost 1-0, Charlton was fascinated by what they saw in him. They offered him a trial and a scholarship. 

At Charlton, Lookman rose through the age ranks, making his first-team debut in November 2015. In December, he was leading the goal-scoring chart — a similar feat he pulled off with the Under-18s and Under-23s.  

Although Jason Euell, a former Charlton player who oversaw Lookman’s progress at the club as the U23 manager, wanted to promote him to the U23 in his first year, there were players ahead of him in the pecking order. 

The switch was deemed necessary after Lookman scored five goals in the 9-0 thrashing of Queens Park Rangers; the club concluded he wasn’t getting challenged enough.

He joined the U23s right off the back of the QPR game and headed to the first team just three months later in 2015. 

Lookman’s First-Team Call-up 

Lookman’s integration into the senior teams was not premeditated. He got into the team at a time when Charlton suffered a significant run of injuries. A new manager had arrived, and the team needed a spark. Lookman was the boy with the match to light that spark.

His senior team debut came in a match against Milton Keynes Dons. Four days later, he scored his first goal in a 3-2 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion, but it didn’t stop there. 

He would continue to impress, and his performance, coupled with his tally of five goals across 24 Championship appearances in his first season, earned him the Football League Apprentice of the Year in 2016. That feat made him the first Charlton player to win the accolade.

However, Lookman’s performances were not enough to keep Charlton in the Championship as they were relegated to League One that season. Nonetheless, his excellent displays meant he had earned himself a regular starting berth.

With more playing time, his confidence soared, scoring 12 goals in 49 matches across all competitions. 

At this point, it didn’t take long before he had a long list of suitors from the English top flight. English giants like Chelsea, Everton, Manchester City, and Tottenham Hotspur showed interest in the teenager. 

Ademola Lookman Joins Everton 

During Lookman’s initial conversation with Steve and former Everton manager, Ronald Koeman, the coach called him the “present and the future” of Everton. 

Ademola Lookman eventually signed a four-and-a-half-year deal with Everton worth £11 million. That fee, for a kid that young, raised a few eyebrows across the league at the time.

But he shut all that noise down pretty quickly. Lookman made his debut in a 4-0 win over Manchester City, where he scored the final goal despite only coming on in the 90th minute. 

He got his first-team promotion right after that cameo.

Lookman featured in the next five matches that followed his cameo against Manchester City, but he didn’t pull up any trees. After that, his role in the team diminished as he struggled to retain a regular starting position. 

As a young player desperate to make his mark in the game, memories of a tough childhood and the weight of being his family’s only hope for a better life fueled his hunger to succeed.

With limited playing time and constant managerial changes stalling his progress, a move became not just a choice, but a lifeline. 

Although the new manager, Sam Allardyce, had argued that Lookman was not leaving the club, upper management decided to ship him out on loan the following January.

Allardyce had pushed for a switch to Championship club Derby County, but the player had other ideas. Lookman fancied the prospects of embracing a new challenge and learning a different style of football. This time, he joined RB Leipzig. 

Loan Spell at RB Leipzig

Lookman’s decision to head to Germany was not popular in the press. Remember, this was before Jude Bellingham and Jadon Sancho took this unconventional route. 

So it was no surprise that Big Sam was not fond of the move. Unfounded rumors filtered into the media space about Ademola Lookman’s attitude issues.

“It is one of the most unusual situations I’ve been in where we have got some deals for him but he was adamant he chose Germany,” Allardyce later said. 

And he did. Lookman burst onto the scene again in Germany, scoring on his debut as a 78th-minute substitute in a 1-0 win against Borussia Mönchengladbach. This feat made him the first English player to score in the German top flight since Owen Hargreaves in 2005. 

The 12-minute frenzy in that encounter offered flashes of excellence that fans already expected. Lookman looked hungry and confident. His actions were crisp, sharp, and purposeful. 

At Leipzig, Lookman’s unwavering determination to give his best at every given opportunity was there for all to see. And his performances reverberated across the European media.

He would go on to play ten more matches, including seven starts, registering five goals and four assists. Impressed by his performances in the Bundesliga, Leipzig was eager to keep him. 

But having witnessed his rise in Germany, Everton couldn’t bear the thought of losing him either. 

The Prodigal Son Returns to Everton 

At the start of the 2018/19 campaign, Lookman found himself in a familiar environment, this time with hopes for consistent playing time. After all, their latest manager, Marco Silva, had revealed that Lookman was to be a vital piece in his squad. 

But in no time, Lookman found himself trapped in a situation he had once escaped.

He made just three starts that season, and 18 from the bench, often falling behind first-choice Theo Walcott in the pecking order. 

Lookman struggled to make any tangible impact with the meager minutes given. Marco Silva, though, spoke highly of his talents. 

However, in a press conference in March 2019, the Portuguese coach hinted that he wanted Lookman to show more of his ability during training, in order “to reach that level he wants and the level I believe he can play at.”

The message was clear: Lookman was not a top priority.

Frustrated, Lookman pushed for a move back to Germany. 

Besides Charlton, Germany was the only place the youngster truly enjoyed doing what he loved, which was playing football. With Silva having indicated that Lookman was not a part of his plans, he had to choose his next stop carefully. 

Second Spell in Germany

In the summer transfer window in 2019, Lookman completed a permanent move back to RB Leipzig, hoping to pick up where he left off during his loan spell.

The new sporting director, Paul Mitchell, just like his predecessor, Ralf Rangnick, was a fan of his talents. And to be fair, his short loan stint also gave them a sample size of what to expect.

With the help of Exeter-born team-mate Ethan Ampadu, who had also arrived at the club that summer, he began taking German lessons three times per week.

However, expectations turned into unerring disappointment. Lookman was unable to create the same impact as his first loan spell.

Like with Everton, he found himself quite low in the pecking order, this time behind Timo Werner–Germany’s No. 9–and Patrik Schick. Lookman seemed out of place in a castle he once ruled. 

Although head coach Julian Nagelsmann expressed his liking for him, he didn’t show it that season. Ademola Lookman started only once and made ten appearances from the bench. 

Even when he did come on during those times, he made the wrong decisions. He dribbled when he had to shoot, and when he needed to shoot, he would take an extra touch.

Lookman was a shadow of what he used to be at Leipzig, and that was frustrating for him.

Soon enough, rumors of a possible transfer began to surface with Premier League side Fulham as a potential suitor. 

So, within a year after his five-year permanent transfer to the Bundesliga, Ademola Lookman was back in the Premier League. 

Lookman at Fulham 

In September 2020, Lookman finalized a loan move to Fulham. With future national teammates—Ola Aina and Tosin Adarabioyo— at his side, Lookman settled in quite well at Craven Cottage. 

Lookman scored his first goal in October, salvaging Fulham’s first point of the season in a 1-1 draw with Sheffield United. 

His goal rounded off an excellent performance in his first start and offered a glimpse of the talent RB Leipzig was willing to pay £22.5 million for the previous year.

Then came that penalty incident against West Ham.

In 2020, Ademola Lookman failed a ‘Panenka’ penalty for Fulham with his team down 3-2 in the 98th minute…

4 years on, and he’s the FIRST Player to score a hattrick in a Europa League Final.

Incredible. pic.twitter.com/UDNnWbkH1U

— george (@StokeyyG2) May 22, 2024

Fulham were 1-0 down and got the opportunity to snatch a point with a 95th-minute penalty. 

Teammate Aleksandar Mitrovic had missed his previous penalty in the match against Sheffield. So, Lookman stepped up and attempted a panenka, but West Ham’s Lukasz Fabianski read the move like slam poetry and calmly plucked the ball out of the air.

The miss triggered a wave of backlash from fans. Fulham boss, Scott Parker, was livid: “You can’t take penalties like that and he knows that.”

Lookman then took to Twitter, tendering a heartfelt apology to home fans.  

After yesterdays mistake, I take full responsibility and onus for it. To my teammates, manager and the supporters I vow to put the next one in. I will not let one failure hold me back. ⁦@FulhamFC⁩ pic.twitter.com/LpI0Z3pqk8

— Ademola Lookman (@Alookman_) November 8, 2020

After the incident, the forward was quick to redeem himself. 

In the following month, Lookman opened the scoring against Leicester City, playing a crucial role in Fulham’s 2-1 win. 

In January, his shot against Manchester United meant that he had been involved in more Premier League goals than any other Fulham player that season (6), with three goals and three assists.

However, Lookman’s standout performances were not enough to prevent Fulham’s relegation to the Championship. His brilliance was clear to see. Soon enough, Leicester was keen on the player and triggered a loan option with RB Leipzig. 

Move to Leicester City

Like his early-season cameos, Ademola Lookman was quick to make a statement barely a month after he arrived at Leicester.

His performance earned him a lot of praise from former Leicester City assistant manager Chris Davies. Chris also highlighted the forward’s dedication and tenacity during the team’s training sessions.

Nonetheless, Lookman’s standout performance at the club was during Leicester’s win over Liverpool, where he scored the only goal, wrapping up three vital points at Anfield. 

He would go on to register just eight goals and five assists in 42 appearances across all competitions.

Leicester did not exercise the option to sign him permanently from Leipzig, citing financial constraints over the player’s £14 million buy-out clause.

Flash forward two years, and Brendan Rodgers, then Leicester City manager, expressed regret over not signing the player permanently. 

At the time, Leicester needed to offload before they could buy, but they were not receiving offers for their players. In the end, Lookman had to decide on his future. 

Then, most fans had thought he would simply become a journeyman footballer, playing in a far-flung place and never quite fulfilling his potential. 

But against all odds, Lookman’s spark never waned.

In Gasperini We Trust

It didn’t take long before Lookman started receiving offers from across Europe, but no one expected a move to Bergamo to join Atalanta. However, his initial conversation with the club made him believe it was the right place to go.

Lookman had a reverence for attacking football — the kind of style he was accustomed to at Charlton and Leipzig.

Under head coach Gian Piero Gasperini, Atalanta became renowned for a high-octane, aggressive, and ultra-attacking approach. 

Before he arrived at the Italian outfit, Lookman was full of praise for the 64-year-old, describing him as ‘an intelligent individual’. 

Gian Piero Gasperini has been at the club since 2016—the longest-serving manager in Serie A. Gasperini, or “Mister” as Lookman calls him, is the strictest manager he has ever had since his years at Charlton. 

And this reverence for a coach willing to gamble on high-profile rejects drove Lookman to step up his game. He was willing to die for the badge.

Lookman’s Slow Walk to Stardom 

Gasperini’s focus on progressive attacking has been highly instrumental in Lookman adding more goals to his game. With his fluid 3-5-2 formation, it is difficult for defenders to track Lookman, making it easier to push further into the final third. 

Lookman now sees himself as more than just a winger, emphasizing his abilities to create, score, and play across all forward positions. 

In his first season, Ademola Lookman racked up 13 goals and eight assists across 31 appearances, just three fewer than in the five previous seasons combined (16). 

Lookman’s breakthrough continued in his second season when Atalanta went on a historic run in the Europa League. They made it all the way to the final, and standing in their way to Atalanta’s first ever trophy in ages was the unbeaten Bayer Leverkusen.

Europa League Final: Lookman Becomes the Man

Bayer Leverkusen, led by Manager Xabi Alonso, had recently won the Bundesliga title for the first time in their 120-year history, breaking Bayern Munich’s 11-year dominance. The team was on a 51-game unbeaten run and was deemed favorites to win the title in Dublin. 

Few (if any) expected Atalanta to win that night. Leverkusen were deemed unbeatable. 

But football is never won on paper.

Ademola Lookman scored all three goals in Atalanta’s dismantling of Leverkusen that night. And by the 75th minute, the damage had already been done, even too late for Bayern Leverkusen to recover.

Lookman’s hat-trick in a European final put him in the rarified air of elite company in Alfredo Di Stefano, Ferenc Puskas, Pierino Prati, and Jupp Heynckes.

Although Lookman’s performance was phenomenal, huge credit goes to Gian Piero Gasperini—he was successful where Lookman’s previous coaches failed.

There’s no question that Lookman was already a fantastic talent before 2022. Nevertheless, Gasperini created a system for Lookman, which allowed him to flourish with the crop of players around him.

Gasperini believed, and Lookman delivered. 

At Atalanta, Lookman is currently playing the most consistent football in his career under Gasperini, having sampled football in five clubs under seven managers across three European top leagues. 

His resurgence became proof that even the brightest players can sink in systems that stifle their creativity.

Lookman’s International Career

Ademola Lookman’s international career started in 2016 with the England U19 national team in a friendly match against Mexico.

With his stand-out performance in the match-up, Lookman subsequently made the squad for the European U19 Championship that summer. 

In 2017, he starred in England’s 1-0 win over Venezuela in the FIFA U20 World Cup final. Before that, Lookman had scored a goal as England came from behind to defeat Italy 3-1 in the semi-final. 

But with the depth of talent England had in his position, Ademola Lookman never got a full senior cap for England.

Choosing Nigeria Over England

Lookman had turned down several approaches from the Nigerian Football Federation. 

But just like other England rejects looking for a nation to represent, he eventually switched allegiance and made his national debut in a World Cup qualifying playoff against Ghana in 2022. 

He played his first international tournament during the AFCON 2023 tournament in Ivory Coast, where he shouldered the goal-scoring responsibilities of the main man, Victor Osimhen. 

Osimhen was the man many expected to lead Nigeria in the tournament. However, with the player struggling to return from injury, Lookman was the unlikely hero when Nigeria needed him most.

Lookman scored a brace against Cameroon in the round of 16. He was also on target against Angola in the quarter-finals, as he took Nigeria a step closer to lifting the AFCON trophy for the first time since 2013. 

While Nigeria was not able to lift the trophy following a narrow 2-1 loss to hosts Ivory Coast, Lookman’s performance was a pointer to the level of confidence and grit he has been playing with since moving to Italy. 

Becoming Africa’s Best 

Capping off a year of standout performances, Ademola Lookman was awarded African Player of the Year in December 2024, becoming just the seventh Nigerian to win the accolade.

 

These were the words of Ademola Lookman as he stood on stage in Marrakech, Morocco, to receive the award that crowns him the continent’s best. The boy once labeled a Premier League misfit had become the pride of a continent.

He is evidence that it is not how many times you fall but how many times you pick yourself up. For surely, a child does not learn to walk in a day.

Yet it wasn’t just Lookman’s award that caught attention that night; it was how he chose to receive it. 

Adorned in deep green Yoruba agbada and fila, with traditional black beads, Lookman’s richly textured outfit exuded a regal presence, as if he knew he had already won. 

The player’s entire ensemble was a redefinition of elegance on an international stage.

In a moment of personal and professional triumph, Lookman chose to honor his Yoruba and African roots, showcasing the richness of his identity to a global audience.

Despite early controversies surrounding his refusal to represent Nigeria at the national level, it appears the youngster has finally come to terms with his roots. 

Beyond his heroics on the African continent, the former Charlton, Everton, Fulham, and Leicester City player was also the only African on the 2024 Ballon d’Or shortlist, finishing in 14th place. 

Ademola Lookman’s Legacy and Career Prospects 

Right from an early age, Lookman’s capabilities with the ball were never in question. The Wandsworth-born has played across three European leagues but has finally gained his footing under Gasperini’s tutelage at Atalanta.

Currently 27, he is only just reaching the peak of his career, an indication of his early rise in the game. Before Lookman arrived in Italy, Gasperini had lost every final he played. 

With the likes of Ahmed Musa serving as inspiration, Lookman is poised to captain the Super Eagles of Nigeria one day. In the very least, he’ll play a major role in the coming tournaments.

Gasperini’s belief in Lookman, coupled with the system he created, clearly heightened Lookman’s confidence in himself. Lookman not only led Nigeria to the final of the AFCON 2023 in Ivory Coast, but he has also transitioned into a key player at Atalanta. 

With the Gasperini era having come to an end in the 2024/25 campaign, after nine years at the club, it would be interesting to follow Lookman on his next adventure. 

Nonetheless, his impact on Lookman was highly instrumental in his journey from the streets of Peckham to a Premier League flop, and now at the peak of European football.