Ademola Lookman delivered the best performance of his club career to inspire Atalanta to their first-ever European title, following a 3-0 victory over Victor Boniface and Nathan Tella’s Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League final at the Dublin Arena on Wednesday night.

Bayer Leverkusen’s remarkable run ended with their 52nd game of the 2023-2024 season, although Xabi Alonso’s side still has a chance at winning the domestic double.

Atalanta secured their first major trophy thanks to three outstanding goals from their Nigerian international, Lookman. He broke the deadlock in the 12th minute with a close-range effort after getting ahead of Palacios. Lookman doubled the lead by nutmegging Granit Xhaka and curling a superb shot into the bottom corner from 20 yards out in the 26th minute. He completed his hat-trick fifteen minutes from time by firing into the roof of the net.

Lookman, a former Everton and Charlton Athletic player, is the first in history to score a hat-trick in the final of the Europa League. Born in London, Lookman represented England at U19, U20, and U21 levels and was a World Cup winner with the Young Lions in 2017 before switching his allegiance to Nigeria, his parents’ homeland.

The 26-year-old shone in his first major tournament for Nigeria, scoring three goals and providing an assist to help the Super Eagles reach the final of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.

Speaking after the Europa League final, Lookman emphasized that he has no regrets about playing for the three-time African champions. “It’s incredible to play for Nigeria. The support and love I get back home from the people is unbelievable,” Lookman said, as quoted by UEFA’s official website. “It gives me the motivation to evolve in different areas – as a person, not just in my game.”

Since the beginning of 2024, Lookman has played in every match for the Super Eagles, bringing his total appearances for the national team to 21 since his debut in a World Cup qualifier against Ghana in March 2022.