Ademola Lookman’s journey to football stardom began in the heart of Peckham, one of London’s toughest neighbourhoods. From a young age, he was captivated by football, especially the electrifying atmosphere of Premier League teams like Everton at Goodison Park. While Ademola attended school to fulfil his parents’ wishes, his true passion was always football.
At 14, a personal tragedy—the loss of his friend Anwalu—served as a powerful catalyst for his ambitions. The grief from this loss united his team, pushing them to strive for greatness in honour of their late friend. Their commitment paid off, as they began winning matches and achieving success.
Fast forward to 22 May 2024, and Lookman’s dedication and hard work culminated in a historic moment. He scored a stunning hat-trick in the Europa League final, leading Atalanta to a 3–0 victory over Bayer Leverkusen and securing the club’s first-ever Europa League title. This accomplishment also made him the first player to score a hat-trick in a single-leg European final since Pierino Prati in 1969.
Preamble:
In this biography, we delve deeper than the highlights seen on YouTube. We explore Ademola Lookman’s childhood, early life, family background, and personal details. From his early struggles in Peckham to his recent triumphs, this story captures the essence of a young footballer’s remarkable journey.
To pique your interest in Ademola Lookman’s biography, we present a gallery showcasing his career journey. This visual story captures his evolution and achievements, giving you a glimpse into his remarkable path.
The Biography of Ademola Lookman – behold his amazing career journey.
Yes, it’s well known that Ademola Lookman is a creative and technically gifted player renowned for his balance, trickery, acceleration, and agility. However, despite these accolades, only a handful of fans have explored a detailed version of his life story. So, without further delay, let’s dive into the complete story of Ademola Lookman.
Ademola Lookman Childhood Story:
For Biography starters, he bears the nickname – Mola. His real or full name is Ademola Lookman Olajade Alade Aylola Lookman.
The English footballer was born on the 20th day of October 1997 to Nigerian parents in the town of Wandsworth, London.
Early Life and Growing Up Years:
As a child, Mola got himself addicted to watching football games. He was particularly attracted by the atmosphere of certain Premier League teams like Everton’s Goodison Park.
Playing football with childhood friends also laid the foundation blocks of his sporting development.
Before his teenage years, Ademola Lookman’s parents relocated the family – from his birthplace of Wandsworth to London’s Peckham.
The youngster grew up in Peckham, a tough neighbourhood which is often considered one of the worst places to live in London.
Ademola Lookman grew up in Peckham, Naira Marley’s home.
Peckham, where Lookman grew up, is a district of south London within the Borough of Southwark. The area is famous for violent youth crime.
Thankfully, the footballer, including members of his household, never had a part in it.
Ademola Lookman Family Background:
The Peckham native comes from Nigerian parents who belong to a group of interesting Londoners.
Put simply, the media describes Ademola Lookman’s Dad and Mum as strict, funny, sassy, and very educated persons. He Londoner comes from a middle-class family and never suffered lack during his childhood.
Ademola Lookman’s parents operated a traditional household with high regard for the Nigerian culture. They were the type who wanted their children to become lawyers or accountants and NOT footballers.
Ademola Lookman Family Origin:
First thing first, we’ll tell you the meaning of his name. Ademola is a surname of Nigerian Yoruba origin which means ‘the king/crown/royalty along with wealth‘.
Without argument, he has his family roots in Nigeria. This is a West African nation that has the most black people on planet Earth.
This is a map of Nigeria that explains Ademola Lookman’s family origin.
Ademola Lookman’s parents come from the southwestern part of Nigeria.
They are likely to be from any of the following states: Lagos, Oyo, Ogun, Osun, Ekiti, or Ondo. The footballer himself belongs to the London Black African ethnicity.
Ademola Lookman Education:
Like many kids in London born to Nigerian families, going to school was always compulsory.
Ademola followed the direction set by his parents. According to the Independent, he attended this school, St Thomas the Apostle College, in Peckham.
Ademola was among the most brilliant students of his set at St Thomas the Apostle College in Peckham.
Back then in school, Ademola was this so intelligent boy who could multi-task with both academics and football.
Did you know?… his cognitive abilities saw him achieving three As and five As at GCSE.
Ademola Lookman Football Story:
Our boy only went to school so he could honour his parents’ wishes. In the actual sense, all Ademola wanted to be – was to become a professional footballer.
The quest for education was never compromised – at the beginning. Initially, it made the youngster get less time for the game. In order to multitask, Mola enrolled for Sunday league football like Dele Alli did.
The truth is, the Peckham native never enjoyed the life most kids had at the academy, where they began football at the age of 6.
Just after his teenage years, Lookman enrolled with Waterloo F.C. – a local team dedicated to giving busy school kids a sporting chance.
At the age of 14, a tragedy (the death of a friend) inspired Ademola to greatness. That was the time Ademola lost a teammate named Anwalu.
The sudden death of his friend was really tough to handle, but thankfully, it brought his team together.
Ademola lost a friend at his first club. That sad event went on to help his team.
Because of how painful it was, Ademola’s teammates, out of respect for the dead, vowed to each other to do what it takes to become successful in football.
From that day, the boys fought together and never lost games as they used to. Thankfully, they achieved success for their late teammate.
Early Life with Amateur Football:
Around April 2014, Charlton Athletic Under-16s were coming to the end of what appeared to be a good season.
Due to a long break between their fixtures, the club decided to organize a few more games (friendlies) to give their players more minutes.
Chalton welcomed London FA U-16 to compete with him. This is a team of aggregated amateur footballers from local Sunday league sides.
They had a little 16-year-old winger named Ademola Lookman, who joined from Waterloo FC.
In that friendly match, Ademola Lookman became the best player on the pitch – by a big margin.
Coming as an early substitute, our boy showcased lots of bravery. He used his dazzling trickery/dribbling to take out almost all of Chalton’s players.
While nobody knew, the essence of that game was for Chalton to scout Ademola Lookman, and the footballer never knew. After making an impact, one of his friends whispered to him, saying,
Bro, I think you are the reason for this match.
I noticed you got scouted as soon as you came in.
I can sense that. Ademola responded saying… me??… and his friend said YES!!
Ademola Lookman Biography – Road to Fame Story:
After the match, our boy got an invitation for an in-house trial, which he passed in flying colours.
Owing to the excellent display of scoring four goals, Chalton didn’t just acquire him. The club offered Ademola a scholarship.
In just a year, the youngster was ready to make his debut for the first team. When they called Ademola to get ready for his first match, he looked very shocked, thinking it was someone else the coach was referring to.
After they confirmed he was the one, our boy began looking for his shin pads, not knowing they were in the pocket of his training jacket.
The Chalton coach just told him to be confident and express himself naturally- which he did.
Thankfully, Lookman became a breakout star, one who started like Wayne Rooney. Speaking about his early experience, Mola once said,
Being very hardworking, a footballer who never had a taste of academy football but used his intelligence to outsmart opponents, Ademola got called to receive his first career award.
Due to his achievements in education and football, he received the 2015-2016 LFE Apprentice of the Year award.
Early English Triumph:
In 2016, Ademola Lookman’s family was overjoyed when he received his first international call-up to the England U19 squad.
The next year (2017), Lookman turned down the opportunity to switch allegiance to Nigeria – the country of his Dad and Mum.
Before announcing his name to English football, Lookman’s drive and determination were his most valuable assets.
Being among the fastest-rising stars in England saw him getting selected to represent England under-20 in their 2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup.
That competition saw England rising to the occasion. Featuring alongside Spurs’ Kyle Walker-Peters, Charlton Athletic’s Ezri Konsa, Arsenal’s Ainsley Maitland-Niles, and Everton’s Dominic Calvert-Lewin (to name a few), Ademola’s three goals helped England win the trophy.
Ademola Lookman’s glory moment with England.
Ademola Lookman Biography – The Succes Story:
Lots of opportunities opened up for the rising star after the tournament. In less than three years with Chalton, Ademola got an £11m transfer to Everton.
Surprising to many, this is a very rare story for a footballer who started from NOWHERE (Sunday league football) to go that far – in such a short time.
Reflecting on his early days with Charlton Athletic and joining Everton, Ademola once shared his experience in an interview.
It tells us how Toffees (under Ronald Koman) scouted him after coming to watch one of his games, where he impressed.
Ademola immediately bonded with the Everton team from his first day of training. He appreciates the fluid football of the toffies and became closer to some of his England teammates, eg the likes of Tom Davies.
Finding himself playing against the likes of Yaya Toure and Sergio Aguero was something Ademola found hard to believe.
Yes, he dreamt of having a Premier League debut dream but never believed it would come so fast. Interestingly, our boy scored in his first match as his team defeated Man City.
Did you know?… Ademola Lookman holds the honour of being among Everton’s teenage goal scorers. Notable names in this list include the likes of Wayne Rooney, Gerard Deulofeu, Ross Barkley (CM), Tom Davies, Moise Kean (CF), Jarrad Branthwaite (CB), etc.
The RB Leipzig Story:
Following the sack of Ronald Koman, Ademola felt he needed some foreign experience. He rejected Allardyce’s decision to loan him to Derby, instead preferring a move to Ralph Hasenhüttl’s RB Leipzig.
After a successful loan journey at RB Leipzig, where he scored a debut winner, Ademola soon became Leipzig’s fans’ favourite. The club, in recognition of his service, signed him on a permanent basis.
Following the outbreak of COVID, the London native felt the urgent need to stay close to his family.
Hence, on the 30th of September 2020, Ademola joined Premier League side Fulham, a club that suits his style and is located close to where he grew up.
Since joining the London side, Ademola has never looked back. He has shown a fantastic leap, a more determined attitude, and great confidence.
This performance, week in and week out has given Fulham an injection of confidence in their quest to avoid relegation.
Without a doubt, English football fans are on the verge of observing another youngster getting a surprise call-up by Gareth Southgate’s England.
As I update this bio, I see that Ademola Lookman is a vital member of the Nigerian national football team.
He, alongside notables like Rasmus Hojlund, leads the goal-scoring chat for Atalanta in the 2022/2023 season. The rest, as we say of his Bio, will be history.
Ademola Lookman Love Life – Girlfriend, Wife, Child?
With a huge success story, as noticed in the way he made a name for himself in the Premier League, one thing remains certain for the Peckham native.
As a matter of fact, most fans have wondered if Ademola Lookman has a girlfriend or someone he considers a wife to be.
Who is Ademola Lookman Dating?
Aside from his Nigerian mother and sister, the revered Fulham dribbler doesn’t have anyone who makes his Biography complete.
On another thought, Ademola might have a girlfriend but refuses to make his relationship public, at least for now.
Personality:
Starting off, Lookman is a peaceful and fair-minded human being, one who has the markings of a Libra Zodiac Sign (similar to Lyndon Dykes and Lauren James). He has a curious and creative nature both on and off the pitch.
Again, his innate desire to help people without hoping to get anything back says a lot about his person.
Considering he was the most brilliant student in his set at St Thomas the Apostle College in Peckham, we are not surprised to see Lookman following one of his hidden passions.
It is no other than teaching class pupils. Ademola loves to support little kids, and we got to find out during his days with Everton.
If Football had not worked out, we are sure Ademola Lookman would have become a teacher.
Pupils of St Andrew’s Maghull C Of E Primary School at Liverpool would never be in a hurry to forget their humble teacher, who, despite a busy career schedule, finds time to come visit and tutor them. Away from football, Ademola Lookman also has a great sense of humour.
Lifestyle:
With no idea who he is, spotting Ademola Lookman on the streets would make you think he is just an average Londoner – judging by the way he dresses.
This is a mark of his humble personality. The truth is that Ademola possesses a very thrifty mindset despite the millions of pounds that go into his bank account every year.
See who earns 2.6 million pounds every year. Ademola is the best example of an anti-flash attitude.
The footballer once revealed via his Instagram what his house looks like. Ademola Lookman’s house is proof that he is a true antidote to an expensive lifestyle.
The footballer of Nigerian origin lives a very humble life in what looks like a small house – despite making 50,000 pounds a week with Fulham.
This is Ademola Lookman’s House for someone who earns 50k pounds a week.
Ademola Lookman’s Car:
As I write this Bio, Mola is at a stage in life where he attends weddings as a groomsman.
Do you know if that is Ademola Lookman’s car below? Yes, that one is behind. It’s the flashy Mercedes Benz. According to us, that ride might be his; thou used for the occasion.
Ademola Lookman Family Life:
The England Superstar never forgets those who stood by him when he was nothing. These people are family, made up of his parents, brothers, and sisters.
We won’t forget the coaches and teammates who have contributed to his success so far. Let me tell you more facts about his household.
About Ademola Lookman Parents:
Yea, we are aware his mum and dad earlier towed the lane of wanting their son to become a lawyer or accountant. We also got to hear about them when Lookman scored his first EPL goal with Everton.
It appears his parents told him before the match NOT TO SCREAM when he scores against City. They told him to do that upon reaching home – in their presence.
About Ademola Lookman Relatives:
According to Yannick Bolasie, the footballer comes from a difficult background in Peckem (London) where it was quite rough to live. From our research, Ademola also comes from what also looks like a difficult Nigerian root.
With approval from his parents, he often finds time to visit southwest Nigeria, where his Dad and Mum come from.
Indeed, Lookman is friendly. He finds time to bond with relatives and friends in the West African country.
It is glad to see Ademola Lookman bonding with his relatives in Nigeria.
Ademola Lookman Facts:
In this concluding section of our Biography, we’ll tell you more truths about the former Evertonian. Without wasting much time, let us begin.
Game Ranking:
Ademola Lookman’s profile deserved an upgrade, and his overall and potential scores should be higher. What he lacks in height, the superstar makes up for in agility, balance, dribbling, and acceleration. The same goes for Hamed Junior Traorè and Brian Brobbey. In all honesty, an overall score of 82 and a potential of 86 would be fair.
Penalty:
Ademola Lookman has scored some brilliant spot-kicks over the course of his career. We have one of those penalties where he totally outclassed a goalkeeper. It is something he won’t forget in a hurry.
The left-winger’s parents raised him as a practising Christian. We have seen him do the cross sign whenever he enters the field and scores goals.
Ademola also points his fingers to the sky when he scores. His Instagram Bio account is also a pointer to his faith.
Conclusion:
Showing steadfastness in the quest to achieve footballing stardom. This defines the person of Ademola Lookman – a man known by many as a hard worker. The biography of the left-winger shows that achieving success requires taking bold and determined steps.
Since childhood, becoming a footballer has been his biggest dream. There were no signs of wanting to become a lawyer or accountant as his parents wanted. Today, the Lookman family is proud to recognize the man the winger has become.
Thank you for staying with us on the Life story of one of England’s most precious jewels. Here, we strive for accuracy and fairness in the delivery of Nigerian and English footballing stories.
Please contact us if you notice anything that doesn’t look nice in our Bio of the left winger. Moreover, we would be glad if you could give us your perception of the defender in the comment section.
