For Nigeria’s Ademola Lookman, it must still feel surreal that a boy born in London and raised in Peckham now carries the hopes of an entire nation every time he pulls on Nigeria’s green and white.
Early Years and a Career Built on Patience
His rise was anything but straightforward. For a young boy whose parents left Nigeria in search of better opportunities in England, financial stability was never guaranteed. With his parents working multiple jobs just to make ends meet, chasing a football dream often felt like a luxury rather than a certainty. But persistence became Lookman’s quiet weapon.
That consistency paid off in 2014 when he was signed by Charlton Athletic from Waterloo Football Club, a grassroots club in Lambeth. A year later, after a rapid progression through the academy, he made his senior debut for Charlton in the Championship. The boy from Peckham was suddenly on a professional stage.
Two seasons later, Everton came calling. In 2017, the Toffees signed Lookman for what was then a club-record £7.5 million for a League One player, a deal that could potentially rise to £11 million. By this point, his international future appeared to be heading firmly in one direction. Lookman was already representing England at the youth level, featuring for the U-19s and later becoming part of the England U-20 side that won the World Cup.
He announced himself to the Premier League in unforgettable fashion, scoring on his debut for Everton against Manchester City in a stunning 4-0 victory. It felt like the beginning of something special.
Waiting on England
Yet, across five Premier League seasons – including loan spells at Fulham and Leicester City – Lookman managed 11 goals in 96 appearances. The talent was clear, but consistency and opportunity at the highest level remained elusive. Still, the dream was obvious: breaking into England’s senior team.
That ambition shaped some of the most defining moments of his early career. Lookman rejected Nigeria on three separate occasions, holding out for a call-up that never arrived. Even a meeting with the Nigeria Football Federation president in 2018 failed to change his stance. England, with its fierce competition and abundance of attacking talent, remained the priority.
Everything changed in 2022.
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Nigeria’s Ademola Lookman and the Decision That Changed Everything
Faced with the reality of limited opportunities at the international level and stiff competition within England’s ranks, Lookman made the difficult but decisive choice to switch allegiance to his parents’ country. From that moment on, there was no hesitation – and no looking back.
The impact was immediate and transformative. His career took on a new direction, one defined by confidence, responsibility, and belief. That decision reached its peak in 2024, a year that firmly placed Lookman among Africa’s elite. He was crowned CAF Men’s Player of the Year after a season of brilliance for both club and country, finishing as AFCON runner-up with Nigeria and lifting the Europa League trophy with Atalanta in May.
He describes this change as one of the best decisions he has made in his footballing career in an interview with Arise News
There have been setbacks. Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the 2026 World Cup remains a bitter disappointment. But rather than dampen his spirit, it has sharpened his focus. Lookman has made no secret of his ambition to bring AFCON glory back to Nigeria.
In a recent interview, he openly stated that his New Year’s resolution was to win the AFCON gold. It was a bold declaration – one that carried weight and expectation.
So far, he has backed it up on the pitch. With two goals and two assists in his first two group-stage games, Nigeria’s Ademola Lookman leads the tournament for goal involvement per match and will be eager to build on that momentum in the knockout rounds.
This was never the path he imagined. From rejecting Nigeria three times while waiting for England’s call, to standing on the brink of greatness as an influential figure for the Super Eagles, Lookman’s journey has been shaped by patience, resilience, and ultimately, clarity.
Looking back, the decision to switch allegiances may well be the most defining of his career. And should Nigeria lift the trophy at this 35th edition of the AFCON tournament, Nigeria’s Ademola Lookman’s name will no longer be discussed in terms of what might have been – but firmly among the greats of Nigerian football.
Main Photo
Credit: IMAGO / Shengolpixs
Recording Date: 27.12.2025
