Super Eagles forward Ademola Lookman has revealed that quickly forming a good relationship with Victor Osimhen and his teammates has made his switch from England to Nigeria seamless, Soccernet.ng.
Lookman was born in England to Nigerian parents. As such, he was eligible to represent one of the two countries on the international scene.
Lookman started his international career playing playing England’s youth teams. He even won the Under-20 World Cup with the England youth side in 2017, scoring three goals in the run-up to the win.
However, the former Leicester City man later decided to switch to Nigeria five years after that success. Lookman’s switch was finally confirmed in 2022. He was even in the mix for a place in Nigeria’s 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, but FIFA did not ratify his switch on time.
Since switching to Nigeria, Lookman has been outstanding. He announced himself to the rest of Africa at the 2023 AFCON that took place this year with his breath-taking ability on the ball. Since then, he has been consistent.
For any player, switching countries would always be difficult. But the Atalanta man has stated that the warm welcome he received upon switching allegiance to Nigeria is what has catalyzed his brilliant displays.
“When I first joined the Super Eagles, I’m very glad there was a group of people that welcomed me and were very loving to me and took me in as one of their own,” Lookman told the BBC.
“It’s a dream and it’s an honour to be here, to be able to wear that badge on my chest.
“We are proud as a group of what we achieved at the AFCON. Now, some people speak Yoruba to me. If somebody wants to tell me something, they tell me in Yoruba. Like Victor Osimhen, he would speak to me in Yoruba. But sometimes, if he says something to me in Yoruba, and I can reply in Yoruba, then I say it.”
Lookman’s performances for club and country has made him a favorite for the CAF Player of the Year award. He will be looking to continue with his great form and spur the Super Eagles to silverware soon.