Ademola Lookman: Gernot Rohr explains how he persuaded Atalanta forward to represent Nigeria

Ademola Lookman's name continues to resonate throughout the footballing world following his outstanding hat-trick in the UEFA Europa League final against Bayer Leverkusen.

The dynamic forward ensured Atalanta tasted cup glory for the first time in over 62 years with a superb display on the night.

Lookman opened the scoring from inside the 18-yard box in the 12th minute off a pass from wing-back, Davide Zappacosta, before doubling his tally with a brilliant goal in the 26th minute.

The 26-year-old completed his near-perfect performance with another goal in the 75th minute to wrap up an emphatic display for the Serie A side.

In the aftermath of the match, former Super Eagles coach, Gernot Rohr, explained how he was able to convince the talented forward to switch international allegiance from the English national team to the Super Eagles.

Rohr speaks on Ademola Lookman's international switch

In an interview with OwnGoalNigeria, the Franco-German tactician emphasised his role in persuading Lookman to choose Nigeria over England for international football.

"Lookman was in my preliminary squad for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Cameroon, before I was dismissed as coach of the Nigerian team.
The discussions with him took place while he was playing in the German Bundesliga with RB Leipzig.

It was a direct conversation, and I was eager to have him on my team, but unfortunately, I departed before he was cleared to play for the Super Eagles," he concluded.

Lookman, who eventually made his debut for Nigeria in March 2022, has since represented the three-time Cup of Nations winners over 20 times, scoring six goals.

The forward, recently called up by current coach Finidi George, is expected to play a crucial role when Nigeria faces both South Africa and the Benin Republic in the upcoming FIFA World Cup qualification series.