Duro Ikhazuagbe 

Ademola Lookman’s Coach at Atalanta, Ivan Juric, has praised the reigning African Player of the Year for his brilliant display that earned La Dea a 1-1 draw with AC Milan in an Italian Serie A clash on Tuesday night.

The goal was Lookman’s first this season since he got reintegrated to the team after a failed move away from Bergamo in the summer transfer window.

The Super Eagles forward equalised for Atalanta in the 35th minute after Samuel Ricci  gave Milan an early 4th minute lead with a deflected strike.

Juric labelled Lookman as a player who does “spectacular “ things on a good day.

“I think we pushed him (Lookman) to play more than perhaps he should’ve done in these games because we wanted him to achieve match fitness,” Juric told DAZN Italia shortly after the explosive game.

The Atalanta coach stressed further that Lookman “is a particular type of guy, but in training and on the pitch. He is a sight to behold, just a spectacular player.”

Juric capped by admitting that he was happy with him.

” He’s a winner, with incredible determination, and I am very happy for him. We were only talking yesterday he said if he trains like this, the goal will come, and today (Tuesday) he scored a great goal.”

But it appears Lookman did not get carried away with the sweet for nothing words the Atalanta coach used to described his superlative performance against AC Milan.

He still have at the back of his mind, the treatment he got from Atalanta’s top hierarchy when he attempted to force his way to Inter Milan by throwing in a transfer request in the summer but got blocked. Lookman therefore in anger went on AWOL during the team’s preseason. He got snubbed in the early part of the season by not listed for matches.

“The most important thing is to be available for the team,” Lookman told DAZN Italia in a separate interview after the game.

“I’ve not been able to find form yet, physically or in front of goal, But I’ll get there eventually and this (his equaliser) was a step forward in the right direction. Hopefully, in the coming games, we’ll be able to get some wins,” stressed the Nigerian international.

Pressed further on whether he has found happiness again at Atalanta, his response was cryptic to suggest there is still tension between him and the club.

“I think that when I’m on the pitch, the most important thing is to try and help the team win.  We want to keep climbing up the table and that’s the most important thing, to win football games,” concludes Lookman without answering the question with a yes or no.