One of the hottest stars in world football right now is a Nigerian, and William Troost-Ekong’s recent comments have only added to the growing buzz surrounding him.
The Super Eagles captain, who led Nigeria to the final of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, has revealed why he believes Ademola Lookman is currently “arguably the best player in Africa”, footballrover reports.
Troost-Ekong on Ademola Lookman’s exceptional rise
Troost-Ekong didn’t hold back when discussing his teammate, Ademola Lookman, describing him as a remarkable talent in African football today.
The Al-Kholood defender praised Lookman for his remarkable performances, particularly highlighting his key role in Nigeria’s AFCON campaign, where he was instrumental in helping the Eagles reach the final.
Lookman’s career has been flourishing since his move to Atalanta in 2022. After a solid debut season where he scored 15 goals, he followed it up with 17 the next year, including a memorable hat-trick in the Europa League final.
This season, Ademola has already netted 11 goals in just 12 games, leading Atalanta’s surprising Serie A title challenge.
African Player of the Year? Troost-Ekong’s confidence in Lookman
Troost-Ekong is confident that Ademola’s exceptional form will see him win the prestigious African Player of the Year award on December 16.
“He’s on fire now, and a lot of promise is coming through. This season he’s been something else, and at AFCON he was amazing.”
“I would say he’s arguably our best player and arguably the best player in Africa right now. On December 16 there will be the [African Player of the Year] ceremony, and I’m sure he’s going to win it,” the Al-Kholood star told talkSPORT.
With rumours linking Lookman to top European clubs, Troost-Ekong confirmed that these rumours were true but mentioned that Atalanta is not yet ready to let their star player go.
“Everybody saw the hat-trick in the Europa League final, and then there were a lot of rumours about big clubs, which I know to be true, but Atalanta weren’t ready for him to go,” the defender added.
Despite this, Troost-Ekong praised Lookman not only for his on-field talent but also for his professionalism and likeable character.
“If I were any top club right now, I’d want him; he’s a top professional and a great lad, so I’m a very big fan,” he concluded.
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