Lookman hat-trick ‘beyond anyone’s wildest dreams’
Ademola Lookman’s Europa League-winning hat-trick was “beyond anyone’s wildest dreams,” his former academy coach at Charlton Athletic Steve Avery said.
The 26-year-old Nigeria international scored three spectacular, unanswered goals for Atalanta as the Italian side ended Xabi Alonso and Bayer Leverkusen’s 361-day unbeaten run with a 3-0 win in the final in Dublin.
He was an unused substitute in Atalanta’s memorable quarter-final first-leg win at Anfield against Liverpool before coming off the bench during the Red’s 1-0 second-leg victory in Bergamo.
But starting against the Bundesliga champions, Lookman ran riot.
He stole in at the back post for the first, bent the ball into the bottom corner with his right foot for the second, before rifling home into the top-right corner with his left to complete the first hat-trick in a major European final since Jupp Heynckes for Borussia Monchengladbach in the 1975 Uefa Cup.
Well done Son. We are well proud of you.
