#SPORT: Lookman, a player Nigeria can’t afford to lose

Festus Abu

Ademola Lookman did not need the full 90 minutes but  four   on the pitch to make a bold statement.

The teenager came under the spotlight when  Everton announced that they had agreed a deal with  South London League One outfit South London club Charlton Athletic  to sign him during the January transfer window.

The third tier of English

football is certainly not  where  many would expect a player to command a transfer fee of £11m. but Everton’s  Dutch manager Ronald Koeman was convinced his scouting team had found a player of high calibre  and approved of Lookman’s signing.

With only a few days training with  the Toffees, the 19-year-old convinced his new manager about his ability to succeed at Goodison Park.

 “Ademola has good experience and everybody knows that at that level the football is more physical than the Premier League. Now he will get more experience at a higher level, which will be good for the boy,” Koeman  was quoted by  Liverpool Echo  as saying of the player, whose parents are Nigerians.

“I spoke to the boy and he knows what we want, how he needs to train and play and his behaviour. He’s only 19 and we know it’s difficult for young players to come into the first team at the level of the Premier League, but he’s the type who we believe can make the step as soon as possible.”

Former  Holland and Barcelona  midfielder Koeman  carefully chose what appeared to be  the right moment to  give the  winger, who made appearances at England Under-19 and Under-20 levels, his Premier League debut – against a star-studded Manchester City  side.

The London-born grabbed the opportunity with both hands and scored his first goal at the top flight in the 4-0 humiliation of the  big-spending Citizens at Goodison Park on Sunday. It was Everton’s last goal.

Lookman has been making headlines ever since he  easily shot  between the legs of veteran goalkeeper Claudio Bravo in injury time.

The British media  are backing the youngster, who has revealed his ambition to study psychology, to follow in the footsteps of  in-form Tottenham midfielder Dele Alli, whose father is a Nigerian. The 20-year-old was born in England by an English mother.

Charlton manager Karl Robinson has been credited with spotting the talents of both players. The 36-year-old Addicks  boss nurtured  Alli at Milton Keynes Dons.

Alli, who like Lookman, was born  to a Yoruba father,  broke into England’s senior team in 2015  after a having a spectacular first  season for Tottenham.

Although the  6 ft 2in attacker  was eligible to play for Nigeria, despite representing  England in the Under-17, Under-18, Under-19 and Under- 21 levels, he chose his mother’s country.

Versatile Bayern Munich and Austria defender David Alaba, who was born in Vienna to a Nigerian father, was thrust into the spotlight after  making his  international debut for the Austrian senior team against in 2009. He was  just 17 and featuring in the friendly game made  him the youngest player in the history of the Austrian national team.

The 24-year-old has won the German Bundesliga five times, the UEFA  Champions League once (2013) and the FIFA  Super Cup (2013)  once and the FIFA Club World Cup once (2013).

Alaba was eligible to play for Nigeria before he committed his international future to Austria, but the player claimed the  Nigeria Football Federation  never approached him to play for the Super Eagles.

‘’I wanted to play for Nigeria but I must confess that there was no formal approach for me. A scout actually discussed that with me,” he was quoted by an Austrian outlet as saying.

 I was excited because of my dad, he was a fan of Sunday Oliseh when Oliseh played for FC Koln. As a kid, I loved to watch Victor Agali in the jersey of Hansa Rostock.”

West Ham centre-back Angelo Ogbonna (Italy), Watford forward Stefano Okaka (Italy), SV Darmstadt 98 winger  Sidney Sam (Germany) are among the players with Nigerian origins, who stepped into the limelight in their teens, currently playing for European countries. The NFF could not convince them to play for Nigeria.

Although reports say the NFF have been working behind the scenes to persuade Lookman to pledge his international allegiance to Nigeria, the federation is not known to win such battles due to  a lack of planning and poor organisation.

Arguably, Arsenal’s rising star Alex Iwobi, Wolves  goalkeeper Carl Ikeme and Chelsea’s Victor Moses, who were all eligible to play for England,  chose Nigeria   because they were either willing to play for their fatherland or under pressure from their parents/ relations.