Former Nigeria head coach José Peseiro has revealed that Ademola Lookman opted to represent the country only after his hopes of playing for England came to an end.
Peseiro disclosed that the winger, who progressed through England’s youth system, had always dreamed of representing the Three Lions at senior level. Lookman was part of England’s triumphant squad at the 2017 FIFA Under-20 World Cup and also featured for the Under-21 team.
However, according to the Portuguese tactician, communication from the English national team setup suddenly stopped, leaving the young forward confused and disappointed.
“He was just a kid, but he always told me how sad he was because after winning the Under-20 World Cup in 2017 and reaching the Under-21s, England stopped calling him up,” Peseiro recalled.
The former Super Eagles boss added that Lookman struggled to understand why he was no longer considered for selection.
“He didn’t understand it; he thought he had a future there, but he had to accept it,” Peseiro said. “So, since his parents were Nigerian, he accepted the call a few months before I arrived.”
Lookman eventually switched his international allegiance to Nigeria and has since become a key figure for the Super Eagles, establishing himself as one of the team’s most influential attacking players.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
