An almost speechless Ademola Lookman said he had 'one of the best nights of his life' afterwards Inspiring Atalanta to Europa League glory with a stunning hat-trick in a 3-0 win over Bayer Leverkusen.
Leverkusen's incredible 51-game unbeaten run had dominated the pre-match build-up, with Xabi Alonso's men avoiding defeat in every competition heading into tonight's match in Dublin.
But former Charlton and Everton winger Lookman set the Aviva Stadium on fire with all three goals in a one-sided final as Atalanta bounced back from an embarrassing Coppa Italia loss at the hands of Juventus just a week earlier.
Lookman's sensational hat-trick made the Nigeria international become the first player in history to find the net three times in a single-leg Europa League final, and the first African to score twice in the final of a major UEFA competition.
His heroics also gave Atalanta a European trophy for the first time in the club's 117-year history, and the jubilant full-time scenes among Gian Piero Gasperini's players reflected the magnitude of what they had just achieved.
Leverkusen, who stormed to the Bundesliga title with a 17-point lead over Stuttgart, will hope to pick themselves up and end their remarkable season on a high when they take the field for the German Cup final against Kaiserslautern on Saturday.
“One of the best nights of my life,” a beaming Lookman told TNT Sports shortly after the final whistle.
'Great performance by the team. We did it, we did it, we did it!
“I don't have many words to say, but yes, fantastic.”
After being on the losing side in last week's Coppa Italia final and the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations final, it was 'third time lucky' for Lookman.
'Third time lucky. They always say: third time lucky! I'm just happy we won today. I am satisfied,” he added.
When asked whether Atalanta will celebrate in style, he replied: '100 percent, that must be celebrated.
“We made history tonight.”
Analyzing Atalanta's win for TNT Sports, former England and Liverpool striker Peter Crouch said the way Lookman had managed to bounce back from 'difficult' experiences elsewhere was an 'inspiration'.
“To be honest, it's probably an inspiration to a lot of players who sometimes get lost when he's out on loan,” Crouch said of the London-born striker's performance.
“Then maybe he arrived at Everton, a big club, and thought, 'I'm going to stay in the Premier League and ply my trade here', and it hasn't quite worked out yet. He had to go abroad.
“It was difficult for him at times and a lot of players might have had their heads down.
'But he has joined Atalanta with a manager who wants to work with him, who seems to be able to get the best out of him.
'And I think it's a credit to him that he can bounce back from quite a few setbacks and get back to a Europa League final and be the difference maker. It's an incredible story.'
Former Chelsea star Joe Cole, meanwhile, praised Lookman's perseverance to overcome tough moments and 'write himself into the history books'.
'His agent will feel in a strong position during the negotiations! But what Crouchy said about adversity and adversity… you can show courage in the face of adversity,” Cole added.
'The football world and beyond is full of people who say, 'Oh well, I could have made it, but I got an injury', or, 'I want to go this way, I went that way', but ultimately, to To reach the top of football – and by that I mean becoming a professional footballer – you have to go through setbacks.
“The players that can get through it and even when they get there, don't give up and don't give up, keep pushing through, that young man right there has that in spades and that's his reward tonight. Writing themselves into the history books.'
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