Lookman credits Atalanta for career revival

Nigeria forward Ademola Lookman has attributed the meteoric rise in his career to the atmosphere he met at Atalanta after joining them from German Bundesliga side RB Leipzig for €10m in 2022, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

The 2024 CAF Player of The Year nominee has been the centre of attention globally since he scored a hat-trick in the final of the Europa League in May, but his rise with the club has been about two years in the making.

He moved to Atalanta after struggling to find his feet in Germany and with Leicester, Fulham and Everton in the EPL.

“When I first got here, I just knew I was going to be good here in a sense where everything cares about football and I loved that because I love playing the game and I love learning,” Lookman said via SportyTV.

“That was important for me to come into an environment that allows me to play, to be focused and be driven on what I want to achieve. The environment matched my goal, so, it was great for me.”

The 27-year-old is in his third season with the Italian club and he is currently playing a crucial role in their Scudetto challenge this season.

“Last season we won the Europa League and that was special because of the way we did it. We showed a real sense of solidarity last season which we have take into this season. We take it game by game and we will see,” he added.

In his first season at Atalanta, he returned 13 goals and eight assists in 31 league appearances.

He added more fuel in the 2023/24 season with 17 goals and 10 assists in 45 games across competitions, including a hat-trick in the Europa League final.

This season, he has scored 11 goals and five assists in 18 games to help the club to the top of the Serie A table with 34 points.

Lookman continues to draw the attention of several top European clubs, with PSG, Manchester United, Arsenal and Real Madrid among the most interested.

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