Bundesliga
Ex-Youth coach Felix Emanus celebrates Ademola Lookman’s Europa League hat-trick
By Monsurah Olatunji
Felix Emanus, one of Ademola Lookman’s former youth coaches, was invited to attend the Europa League final, emphasizing his significant influence on Lookman’s career. The two worked together at Waterloo, a London-based team on the streets of South London.
Lookman began his career at Waterloo, where he played for around five years between 2008 and 2013 before joining Charlton Athletic. In the Europa League final, Lookman starred for Bayer Leverkusen, scoring a hat-trick that ended their unbelievable unbeaten run just two games from the end of the season.
Following the game, an emotional Felix Emanus was invited onto TNT Sport to discuss his former player. He admitted that he had been “dreaming” about such moments for Lookman in a touching interview.
“I sent him a text this morning; I send most of the people a text before every game,” Emanus shared. “I really can’t tell you my emotions – sky high. I’ve been dreaming about this for a long time. We’ve been dreaming about this for a long time since Ade was a kid at Waterloo.”
Reflecting on Lookman’s journey, Emanus said, “He’s a fantastic player, and tonight was a dream come true. I cried when the third goal went in, and I don’t cry. I’m so glad for Ade – he works so hard. He’s a quiet lad, sometimes misunderstood because of his quietness, but he’s a great kid who wants to learn, always wants to get better, and reach the top.”
Emanus also highlighted Lookman’s love for big stages. “To be honest with you, he thrives on the big stage; he loves it and he’s never been frightened of it. When we used to take him for trials, I would be more nervous than him. He would be calm and cool and get the job done.”
He further praised Lookman, saying, “Such a wonderful kid. I’ve been with him since he was nine at Waterloo, and he always wanted to be a footballer, that’s the only thing he ever wanted to do.”
Emanus also gave a special mention to Lookman’s father, acknowledging his significant role in Lookman’s development. “I’d like to give a shoutout to Ade’s father, who was a big influence and played a big part in getting Ade to where he is.”
