Super Eagles winger Ademola Lookman has named Senegal hero Sadio Mane as the player he modeled his game after, Soccernet.ng reports.
One of the most successful African footballers to play in the English Premier League, Mane started as a winger before developing into a renowned, ruthless inside forward.
Known for his pressing, dribbling, and speed, Mane was a fan favourite for Liverpool, where he scored 120 goals in 269 games across all competitions.
With the Reds, Mane won numerous titles, including the league title, the FA Cup, the UEFA Champions League, and the FIFA Club World Cup.
The former Red Bull Salzburg star moved to Bayern Munich in 2022, and in his only season with the German giants, he lifted the Bundesliga title and the DFL Super Cup.
Wishing a very happy birthday to the one and only, Sadio Mané. 👑🇸🇳 pic.twitter.com/s2kmygLsIR
— CAF (@CAF_Online) April 10, 2024
Just like Mane, Lookman has done excellently making the positional switch from winger to inside forward, and the Nigeria international admits watching clips of the Senegalese ace has helped his development.
“The guy who I always looked at the most would have to be Sadio Mane,” Lookman told the Athletic.
“Looking at his threat in the box, his threat in those little tight spaces, his movement — I have watched a lot of his game in particular.”
Rude not to post this on his birthday really 😮💨
His first and one of Sadio’s best for the Reds…pic.twitter.com/OmxMtz7iLQ
— The Redmen TV (@TheRedmenTV) April 10, 2024
Lookman scored 13 Serie A goals last season in his maiden campaign in Italy.
He has notched eight already this term to stand as Atalanta’s joint second-highest goalscorer.
Still, the former Leicester City winger insists he is working to improving his game more.
He added, “I watch my clips back, and it’s nice to be able to see your performance from a different perspective. It gives you more belief in knowing that you’re getting better and developing in certain areas.
“I also have a couple of mentors who will sit down with me and analyse my game. Having their view on certain situations and certain parts of my game helps a lot to get those different perspectives.”
After 31 rounds of matches, Atalanta are sixth on the Italian Serie A table with 50 points, two more than Napoli, who have played one more match.
Lookman will look to help the Goddess finish in the European places to bring continental football back to Bergamo next season.
