ADEMOLA Lookman believes he has made huge progress in recent months and believes he can get even better after he scored a brilliant hat-trick to inspire Atalanta to their first-ever UEFA Europa League triumph.
The Super Eagles of Nigeria forward became the first player in history to score a hat-trick in the final of the Europa League as Atalanta defeated Bayer Leverkusen 3-0 in Dublin, Ireland last night to clinch their first European trophy.
“These past two years I’ve been able to take my game to a whole new level,” Lookman said in his post-match interview.
“Maybe it could have come earlier, but it has come now. But this is just the beginning. I hope for more nights like this and to just keep getting better and better.”
Lookman’s three goals were all sensational. He opened the scoring in the 12th minute when he steered home left-footed from a Davide Zappacosta cross.
The Nigeria international made it 2-0 on 26 minutes when he shimmied past Granit Xhaka on the edge of the Leverkusen box before smashing a low shot past Matej Kovar.
The 26-year-old former Everton star then completed his historic hat-trick in the 75th minute, unleashing a left-footed thunderbolt from inside the box after being fed by Gianluca Scamacca.
As expected, Lookman was named man of the match, with the UEFA Technical Observer Panel saying: “For obvious reasons and his all-round enthusiasm and energy. Really sharp and his execution was spot on.”
Lookman’s fellow Nigeria internationals Victor Boniface and Nathan Tella were on the losing side with Bayer Leverkusen as substitutes as the German champions lost for the first time this season in all competitions, in their 52nd match.
