Peseiro: Lookman Proving England Wrong After Super Eagles Switch

Former Super Eagles head coach José Peseiro has said that Ademola Lookman’s rise in international and club football is proof that England made a mistake by overlooking him for a senior call-up.

Lookman, born in London to Nigerian parents, represented England at U-19, U-20, and U-21 levels before switching allegiance to Nigeria. He made his debut for the Super Eagles in the 2022 FIFA World Cup playoff against Ghana after years of persuasion by the Nigeria Football Federation.

Reflecting on the forward’s journey, Peseiro told Marca: ‘For him it’s a challenge, it’s a very important point in his career because now he has achieved the goal he always had of reaching one of the best clubs in Europe… and continuing to show England that they made a mistake with him.’

The Portuguese coach revealed that Lookman was disheartened by England’s decision to stop calling him up despite his progress at youth level.

‘He was still very young, but he often told me how sad he felt. After winning the Under-20 World Cup in 2017 and moving up to the Under-21s, England stopped calling him up. He couldn’t understand it. He believed he had a future there, but in the end, he had to accept the situation,’ Peseiro said.

Since embracing Nigeria, Lookman has flourished. Peseiro explained: ‘He had already made his debut for Nigeria, but he was not playing regularly. I recognised his potential, made him a consistent starter, and he flourished. He went on to deliver outstanding seasons and played a crucial role in our run to the Africa Cup of Nations final, as well as in Atalanta’s Europa League triumph, where he scored a remarkable hat-trick in the final.’

Now 28, Lookman has become one of Africa’s standout forwards. He helped Nigeria to the AFCON final in 2023 and a third-place finish in 2025, earning a place in CAF’s Best XI in both tournaments. His recent transfer to Atlético Madrid marks the biggest move of his club career.

Peseiro concluded by comparing Lookman’s impact to that of Victor Osimhen: ‘Osimhen has been the star, but Lookman has not been far behind. In fact, he has even scored more goals, six in 13 matches, compared to Osimhen’s five in 14. Now, they are both stars for Nigeria.’