Soccer
Ademola Lookman of Atletico Madrid celebrates. Copyright: Imago
Super Eagles and Atletico Madrid winger Ademola Lookman has named Liverpool’s captain Virgil van Dijk as one of the toughest defenders he’s faced in his career, Soccernet.ng reports.
The 28-year-old started his journey to professional football with Charlton Athletic. However, the next few years were tough for him, especially in the top-flight of English football. While there were glimpses of the talent he possessed, he just couldn’t find the consistency in delivery. Additionally, Lookman was largely misprofiled.
Some coaches played him as a striker, others forced him out wide on the flank, until Gian Piero Gasperini found out the Nigerian thrives in the mix of both.
It took spells at Everton, Leicester City, Fulham and RB Leipzig before the 2024 CAF Player of the Year found his feet in Bergamo with Atalanta.
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Soccer Van Dijk and Reece James – Lookman’s toughest opponents
In a recent interview with ESPN UK, the Atletico Madrid forward revealed his toughest outings have come against the captains of Liverpool and Chelsea, respectively.
Ademola Lookman has played against the Dutch centre-back six times, although he was on the winning side just twice, and in both games, he scored.
One of those came in 2021, when Leicester City sealed a narrow 1-0 win over Liverpool, where Lookman came off the bench to score the game’s only goal, leaving Van Dijk wowed.
“I think he had a little bit too much space at first and we let him use his strength – he’s a good dribbler and unfortunately the goal went in,” Virgil said after the game, as revealed by Tribuna.
“But still, we had moments that we reacted in, we created chances and should have done better but overall I think Leicester can be proud of their performance and you have to give them credit as well.”
Three years ago today 🔙
2021 🗓️
Ademola Lookman scored the Winner against Liverpool 😍
What a player, wish we paid the money in the summer to bring him here permanently
— Leicester Xtra (@XtraLeicester) December 28, 2024
Reece James has been regarded as one of the best right-backs in the English Premier League when fit. The Englishman has played against Lookman on three occasions, coming on top twice.
The Nigerian’s only win against James came earlier this season, in the UEFA Champions League group phase clash against the Blues. Atalanta sealed a 2-1 win.
The one-time UEFA Europa League winner has been backed to score against Arsenal in the second leg of the Champions League semi-final set to be played on Tuesday in London.
Adefolahan Guerreiro
Adefolahan is a multilingual sports journalist and football writer whose work spans outlets like Soccernet Nigeria, Pure Football UK, and Royalsportz.
With a sharp eye for detail and a background in college sports, he tells the African football story with depth, flair, and global perspective.
Fluent in English, Spanish, and German, he brings a cross-cultural voice to his coverage, blending insight with accessibility for readers around the world.
His portfolio includes interviews with top Nigerian stars like Finidi George, Junior Lokosa, Sikiru Alimi, Sodiq Ismaila, and Abraham Onahi Ogbu.
A devoted Borussia Dortmund fan, Adefolahan thrives on the emotion and rhythm of the beautiful game. Away from work, he’s a sci-fi enthusiast and series lover who enjoys exploring how sport, storytelling, and culture collide.
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