“Ease and style” – Ex-Super Eagles goalkeeper weighs in on Lookman’s struggle in England

Super Eagles and Atletico Madrid forward Ademola Lookman has been on an upward trajectory since his move to Atalanta in 2022, Soccernet.ng reports.

However, he had spells with clubs across England like Everton, Leicester City and Fulham, which didn't go so well, even though he spent a little time with RB Leipzig.

Lookman's move to Atalanta steadied his career, then took it a notch higher in 2024 when he won the club's first-ever major trophy by scoring a hat-trick in the UEFA Europa League final against Bayer 04 Leverkusen.

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Emmanuel Babayaro weighs in on Lookman's struggle in England

Former Super Eagles goalkeeper Emmanuel Babayaro has been impressed with Lookman's start to life with Diego Simeone's Atletico Madrid.

The 28-year-old has scored four goals and provided two assists in six starts for Los Rojiblancos, immediately justifying his 35 million euros price tag.

However, Lookman's success in Italy and Spain has left many, including Babayaro, questioning why he didn't have a breakout campaign in his home country, England.

“Ademola Lookman is one young man I honestly admire. And it's not just about his playing; it’s about his comportment, and all these things sum up to one thing for me. They say charity begins at home,” the former Besiktas goalkeeper said on the ATHLST podcast.

“I want to use this opportunity to say thank you to the parents of Ademola Lookman because they did a great job with that young man.

“The Yoruba people are well known for respect and ethics, and his parents did a great job raising him.

“When you consider how he did not perform in England and then went on to work wonders in other parts of the world, do you think his style of play was probably part of the reason why he never really fitted in the United Kingdom?

“Lookman likes to play with ease and style. He likes to play without too much pressure.

“He has that creativity; give him the ball, and he's able to do things, but in England, you have microseconds before something happens. A lot of times, the pressure is on you to release the ball,” the 49-year-old concluded.

Lookman will be hoping to guide Atletico Madrid past Tottenham Hotspur in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League round of sixteen tomorrow.