English Premier League
Brendan Rodgers reveals why Ademola Lookman dumped Leicester City
By Monsurah Olatunji
Former Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has expressed his delight at witnessing Ademola Lookman’s outstanding performance against Bayer Leverkusen on Wednesday night.
Lookman thrilled fans at the Aviva Stadium with a historic hat-trick during the Europa League final, cementing his reputation as a key player for Atalanta.
The 26-year-old forward, who joined Atalanta from RB Leipzig in 2022, has made a significant impact in Serie A.
Rodgers, currently managing Celtic, previously worked with Lookman during his loan spell at Leicester City in the 2021/22 season. During that time, Lookman scored eight goals in 42 appearances, showcasing his potential.
Rodgers, who recently led Celtic to a domestic double in Scotland, revealed his admiration for Lookman’s professionalism and dedication. He shared his disappointment over not being able to retain Lookman at Leicester due to financial constraints at the time.
“The only sad part for us was at the end of that season, we had a clause where we could have bought him for £14 million,” Rodgers told talkSPORT.
“What a professional he is, how he looks after himself, the extra work he does in training. Those goals that he scored, he practices those after training. He’d always do extra finishing.”
Rodgers also credited Lee Congerton, a close associate who worked with him at Celtic and Leicester and later became the general manager of Atalanta, for recognizing Lookman’s potential and bringing him to the Italian club.
“When he knew that we weren’t able to take him, he took him then to Atalanta and he has done absolutely brilliantly there, so I am so happy,” Rodgers said.
“His professionalism was unbelievable and I am so happy he has flourished his talents on such a big occasion,” Rodgers concluded, expressing his pride in Lookman’s achievements and his joy in seeing the player’s hard work pay off on the grand stage.
