Nigeria striker Ademola Lookman said that switching his playing nationality from England to the Super Eagles in 2022 was key to his current success.
Lookman, who was born in London and represented the Three Lions at Under 17 level, helping them win their age-group World Cup, acknowledged that the decision to switch to Nigeria turned his career around.
“I think ever since I put on the Super Eagles jersey, it’s been fruitful,” Lookman said on SportyTV.
“We’ve been able to achieve a lot as a team and we’re still going as a team. But the camaraderie is something that’s very special within the squad.
“Ever since I joined the Super Eagles, everything has gone upwards for me.”
CAF men’s Player of the Year Lookman only made his debut for Nigeria two years ago, in the first leg of the ill-fated World Cup qualifying series against Ghana.
In less than two years, the Atalanta forward has gone from being a so-called Premier League flop, to being named Africa’s best player.
Lookman’s triumph at the CAF Awards on Dec. 16 hit a number of chords for Nigeria, the most significant of which is that he became the first Nigerian player born outside the country to win Africa’s top award.
His accolades: Three goals and two assists which were pivotal to Nigeria reaching their eighth Africa Cup of Nations Final in Cote d’Ivoire in February.
At club level, he scored a European record hat-trick in a 3-0 win to hand Italian side, Atalanta the UEFA Europa Cup at the expense of hot favourites, Bayer Leverkusen in May. The Germans came into the game unbeaten and were as heavy odds-on favourites to win.
He’s carried on this season, notching 12 goals and five assists in 19 appearances in all competitions for Atalanta, and scored two goals as Nigeria qualified for the 35th Africa Cup of Nations finals, with two other goals controversially chalked off.
All of these echo the sort of contributions that the likes of Osaze Odemwingie, and Victor Moses before him, brought to the Super Eagles as diaspora-born players.
More recently, Alex Iwobi, Leon Balogun, Ola Aina, Semi Ajayi, Bright Osayi-Samuel and captain William Troost-Ekong, have all come to become stalwarts of the Super Eagles.
“To me it’s an incredible moment,” Lookman said of his CAF Awards win. “An incredible achievement. It’s special to be able to join the list of many great players who have achieved a lot in the game, legends.
“It’s not just me but we have a lot of talent, not just in the men’s game but also in the women’s game, and for us to be able to give motivation to the young kids who want to aspire to be like us is the most important, because if we can set a good example, they have good footsteps to walk into.”
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