Ferenc Puskas did it first and Alfredo Di Stéfano followed. Now, thanks to a poacher’s instinct and some thunderous finishing, Ademola Lookman has elevated himself into the company of football’s giants.
The winger’s clinical hat-trick in Atalanta’s superb Europa League final victory over Bayer Leverkusen represented a remarkable chapter in the career of the 26-year-old, who grew up in the Peckham and Camberwell areas of south London.
Lookman will be forever feted in Bergamo after the Italians won the first European trophy in their history, and their first silverware of any sort since 1963 — in the process joining the ranks of Puskas and Di Stéfano in scoring a hat-trick in an European final. For how long they get to enjoy him, however, remains to be seen.
Even before his eye-catching exploits in Dublin inflicted a first defeat of the season on Xabi Alonso’s Bundesliga champions, Atalanta were braced for offers for the former England Under-21 international who has represented Nigeria since 2022. His headline act at the Aviva Stadium will only heighten that interest.
Clubs in Germany and the Premier League have been closely monitoring Lookman, who has three years left on his contract and may cost about £30million.
That would represent a sizeable profit for Atalanta on the €8million (£6.8million) they paid RB Leipzig for him two years ago, while still representing good value for a talent whose career has always hinted at the sort of explosive night that made jaws drop.
Lookman boasts 46 goal involvements (30 goals, 16 assists) in 76 matches in all competitions since moving to Serie A, the sort of eye-catching tally of which many supporters in England would have been unaware, preferring to see Lookman through the prism of an nomadic, early existence as he made his debut for Charlton Athletic aged 18, moved to Everton at 19, joined Leipzig permanently at 21 and then have loan spells at Fulham and Leicester City.
During his time at the King Power in 2021-22, he scored six goals in 26 league appearances but Leicester baulked at triggering an exclusive option to buy him for £14million.
Lee Congerton, who was Leicester’s head of recruitment at the time, moved to Atalanta in a similar role before the end of that season, and he subsequently pushed Gian Piero Gasperini’s side to recruit him. Congerton is now working for Al-Ahli in Saudi Arabia, though it is unlikely that Lookman will consider the Middle East for his next career move.
Staying in Italy could be complicated by an impending tax change for non-Italian players which would mean they have to be paid more in the future to earn the same as they do now.
Lookman, who lost in the final of the Africa Cup of Nations with Nigeria in February but was named in the team of the tournament, told The Times last month that a switch in mindset has been responsible for the gear change in his career.
He is focused on the here and now, rather than thinking too far ahead, and has been watching Together: Treble Winners, the story behind Manchester City’s 2022-23 season on Netflix, in an attempt to pick up tips on how Pep Guardiola’s side maintain a relentless mentality.
He also takes inspiration from a range of sporting figures, including Sadio Mané, LeBron James, boxing’s Gervonta Davis and the clutch point guard for the Milwaukee Bucks basketball team, Damian Lillard.
Before he downed Leverkusen, Lookman scored in the semi-final success over Marseille. Add in a brace during a Serie A victory over champions AC Milan last season, and it is clear that Lookman is emerging as a big-game player in his own right.
Hat-tricks in European club finals
Puskas scored four and Di Stefano three for Real Madrid in their 7-3 success over Eintracht Frankfurt in the 1960 European Cup final.
The Hungarian then scored a hat-trick against Benfica in the 1962 final, but it was in a losing cause as the Portuguese team won 5-3.
Pierino Prati scored three for AC Milan in their 4-1 win over Ajax in 1969 European Cup final, while Jupp Heynckes managed a hat-trick for Borussia Mönchengladbach against FC Twente in the second leg of the Uefa Cup final in 1975.
