Former Super Eagles defender Jose Peseiro has revealed the reason behind Ademola Lookman’s decision to switch allegiance from England to Nigeria.
Lookman was part of the England side that won the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 2017.
The 28-year-old turned down approaches from Nigeria thrice before finally accepting to play for the three-time African champions in January 2020.
Peseiro said Lookman took the decision after failing to break into England’s first team.
“He was just a kid, but he always told me how sad he was because after winning the Under-20 World Cup in 2017 and reaching the Under-21s, England stopped calling him up,” Peseiro told Marca.
“He didn’t understand it; he thought he had a future there, but he had to accept it.
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“So, since his parents were Nigerian, he accepted the call a few months before I arrived.”
Peseiro also stated that he gave the Atletico Madrid winger more opportunity to play for the team during his reign.
“Although he (Lookman) had made his debut, he didn’t always play. I saw his potential, made him a consistent starter, and he exploded,” Peseiro added.
“He began to have fantastic seasons and was crucial in getting us to the Africa Cup of Nations final and in Atalanta winning the Europa League with his three goals.
“Osimhen was the star, but he hasn’t been far behind; he’s even scored more goals (Lookman has six in 13 games, compared to the Galatasaray striker’s five in 14). Now they’re both stars.”
By Adeboye Amosu
