Ademola Olajade Alade Aylola Lookman MON (born 20 October 1997) is a professional footballer who plays as a winger for Serie A club Atalanta. Born in England, he represents the Nigeria national team.
Lookman made his senior debut in 2015, playing as a forward for Charlton Athletic in the Championship. In January 2017, he signed with Everton, primarily playing as a winger.
Having represented England at under-19 to under-21 levels, Lookman made his senior debut for Nigeria in 2022.
Early Life
Ademola Lookman Olajade Alade Aylola Lookman was born on 20 October 1997 in Wandsworth, Greater London, to Nigerian parents. He attended St Thomas the Apostle College in Peckham, where he achieved three A*s and five As at GCSE.
Club Career
Charlton Athletic
Lookman joined Charlton Athletic's academy in 2014, having signed from Waterloo, a youth football club in the London Borough of Lambeth. His impressive goalscoring record for Charlton's U18 and U21 teams facilitated his rapid rise through the academy ranks, leading to his first-team debut on 3 November 2015. He scored his first goal for the club in a 3–2 defeat against Brighton & Hove Albion on 5 December 2015, and followed that with both of Charlton's goals in a 2–2 draw with Bolton Wanderers ten days later.
Everton and Loan to RB Leipzig
Lookman signed a four-and-a-half-year contract with Everton on 5 January 2017 for an undisclosed fee, reported to be an initial £7.5 million, potentially rising to £11 million with add-ons. He made his debut for Everton ten days later in a 4–0 victory over Manchester City, replacing Ross Barkley in the 90th minute and scoring the team's fourth goal. Lookman made his first European appearance for Everton in a 1–0 win over MFK Ružomberok in the Europa League third qualifying round first leg.
Despite manager Sam Allardyce stating that Lookman would not leave on loan during the January 2018 transfer window, the club arranged a loan move to Championship club Derby County to provide regular first-team football. However, Lookman opted for a move to Bundesliga club RB Leipzig instead. In his first game with Leipzig, he scored the winning goal in an away match against Borussia Mönchengladbach after coming on as a late substitute.
RB Leipzig and Loans to Fulham and Leicester City
On 25 July 2019, Lookman returned to RB Leipzig on a five-year contract. On 30 September 2020, he joined Premier League side Fulham on a season-long loan, scoring his first league goal for Fulham against Sheffield United on 18 October.
On 31 August 2021, Lookman joined Leicester City on a season-long loan. He made his Leicester debut on 11 September 2021 as a 73rd-minute substitute during a 1–0 defeat to Manchester City. On 28 December 2021, he scored the only goal in their 1–0 win over Liverpool.
Atalanta
On 4 August 2022, Lookman joined Serie A club Atalanta on a four-year contract for a reported fee of €15 million. He scored on his debut for the club, a 2–0 Serie A win over Sampdoria on 13 August. In January 2023, he scored braces in three consecutive matches: an 8–2 Serie A win over Salernitana, a 5–2 Coppa Italia win over Spezia, and a 3–3 Serie A draw against Juventus. On 22 May 2024, he scored his first career hat-trick in the Europa League final at the Dublin Arena, as Atalanta defeated Bayer Leverkusen 3–0 to win the trophy for the first time in the club's history; he became the first player to score a hat-trick in a one-legged European final since Pierino Prati in 1969.
International Career
Lookman, born in England to Nigerian parents, was eligible to play for both national teams. He received his first international call-up for England U19s for a match against Mexico and was later named in the squad for the European U19 Championships that summer. In early 2017, Lookman declined an opportunity to switch allegiance to Nigeria after an approach from the national coach, Gernot Rohr.
Lookman was part of the England under-20 team for the 2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup, scoring three goals in the tournament, including two against Costa Rica in the last 16 and one against Italy in the semi-finals. England beat Venezuela 1–0 in the final, achieving the country's first global tournament victory since the 1966 World Cup.
In September 2017, Lookman received his first call-up for the England under-21s for European Championship qualifiers. He made his debut in a 1–1 draw against the Netherlands under-21s, setting up Everton teammate Dominic Calvert-Lewin for England's goal.
Lookman turned down Nigeria's approaches again in early 2018 and September 2018, after being convinced by England senior manager Gareth Southgate that he was part of his plans. Despite his success for England at youth level, in January 2020, the Nigeria Football Federation announced that Lookman would switch his international allegiance to Nigeria. However, Lookman stated he still wanted to represent England. On 10 February 2022, FIFA approved Lookman's request to represent Nigeria. He made his debut for Nigeria on 25 March 2022, in a scoreless draw with Ghana as part of the third round of qualification for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Lookman was named in Nigeria's squad for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast. He scored both goals in Nigeria's 2–0 win over Cameroon in the round of 16 and the only goal in a 1–0 win over Angola in the quarter-finals. Nigeria lost the final 1–2 to Ivory Coast. Lookman and the rest of the Nigeria team were named Members of the Order of the Niger in recognition of their performance.
Style of Play
Ademola Lookman is a versatile and explosive winger known for his direct, pacey runs at opposition defenses. His quick feet and close control cause problems for defenders. He has a keen eye for goal, capable of finishing chances with both feet and his head. Lookman is a creative player, known for his clever passing and intelligent movement off the ball, able to unlock defenses with his skill and vision.