Super Eagles forward Ademola Lookman has named the two defenders he found most difficult to play against in his career so far.
The Atlético Madrid attacker pointed to Reece James of Chelsea FC and Virgil van Dijk of Liverpool FC as the toughest he has faced.
Speaking in an interview with ESPN, Lookman didn’t overthink it. For him, those two stand out because of how complete they are physically strong, sharp in reading the game and very hard to beat in one-on-one situations.
It says a lot, considering the number of top defenders he has come up against over the years.
Lookman’s journey has taken him across different leagues from England to Germany, then Italy and now Spain. During his time in the Premier League with Everton, Fulham and Leicester City, he regularly faced elite defenders week in, week out.
Games against Liverpool, in particular, gave him real tests.
He faced them several times and managed to get a goal and an assist in those meetings. One moment that still stands out was that December 2021 clash at the King Power Stadium, when he came off the bench to score the winner for Leicester in a 1-0 victory.
That night, Van Dijk was leading Liverpool’s defence, but Lookman still found a way through.
He has also had his share of battles with Chelsea.
Coming up against Reece James, whether in the league or European games, is never easy for any winger. The Chelsea captain combines strength with good positioning, making it difficult to get past him cleanly.
Even in games where Lookman’s team had the upper hand, the individual duel was never straightforward.
At this level, you expect to face the best.
And for Lookman, players like James and Van Dijk are exactly that defenders who don’t just stop you once, but make you think twice every time you get the ball.
