Ademola Lookman: Atalanta forward's hat-trick 'beyond anyone's wildest dreams'

Lookman began his career in south-east London before moving to Everton in January 2017, where he marked his debut from the bench with the final goal in the Toffees’ 4-0 victory against Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City.

That would be his only Premier League goal for the club as he was restricted to just seven league starts in two seasons at Goodison Park.

A six-month loan spell at RB Leipzig followed, with a permanent move to the Red Bull Arena coming a year later in 2019.

After just one Bundesliga start and no league goals, Lookman was loaned out again and returned to London with Fulham.

He scored four times for the Cottagers as they were relegated from the Premier League under Scott Parker and spent the 2021-22 season on loan with Leicester City, scoring eight goals in all competitions as the Foxes finished eighth in the top flight.

Across five and a half seasons he started 62 of his 118 league appearances. Remove his spell from Fulham and that becomes 31 starts in 84.

Since moving to Atalanta in 2022, he has played 76 matches and started 52 of them.

“He’s been playing at that elite level but the difference here is that he’s playing at a club that clearly has some belief to continue to work with him and develop him, and for him to strike up a relationship with them as well,” Avory said.

“Now he has fully established himself at that club, in that league, and he as put himself right up there now in terms of his European achievements.”