Once an Everton flop, now a star: Atalanta ace Lookman shares the secret behind career revival

Speaking ahead of tonight's UEFA Champions League clash with Real Madrid, Ademola Lookman has credited Atalanta coach Gian Piero Gasperini for the improvement in his career.

The Super Eagles forward joined Atalanta in 2022 after failed stints at Everton and RB Leipzig and has become one of the finest players in world football.

Having helped the Super Eagles to the final of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast and Atalanta win their first-ever European title, the UEFA Europa League, he received nominations for the Ballon d'Or and African Player of the Year award.

The 27-year-old was heavily courted by Paris Saint-Germain in the summer but a deal did not happen. 

With eight goals and four assists in 12 league games, Lookman is leading the charge for the Atalanta's first-ever Scudetto. 

They sit top of the Serie A standings at the moment, two points clear of second-placed Napoli.

The Nigerian forward has credited Gasperini for the growth in his career and how he has been helped by playing in a conducive environment.

In quotes relayed by Tutto Atalanta, he said: "I think that from the first moment I arrived, the coach always told me what he wanted from me, he spoke to me clearly, he told me to focus on my qualities and make them available to the team. 

"In the last two years I have tried to improve my game, the city of Bergamo has given me a lot, it helps me to focus on what I have to do."

"I think that together we have shown a lot, we have grown as a team. I think that each of us has grown a lot, at a different level, both in the legs and in the mind. 

"As a team, everyone works for their teammate, in the Europa League final it was clearly seen, the level we showed. But this is a different season".

Lookman has two goals and one assist in the Champions League and will be aiming to help Atalanta beat Real Madrid to boost their chances of finishing in one of the automatic qualification spots for the round of 16.

Abdulkareem Abdulhamid

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