Former Nigeria coach José Peseiro believes Ademola Lookman has grown to rival Victor Osimhen’s influence with the Super Eagles and insists the forward has the qualities to become a central figure at Atlético Madrid.

Although Osimhen has long been regarded as Nigeria’s leading figure, Peseiro said Lookman’s performances, particularly at the Africa Cup of Nations, have been equally decisive.

“Osimhen was the star, but Lookman has not been behind him. In fact, he has scored more goals. Now they are both key figures,” he told Marca, pointing to the winger’s hat-trick in the Europa League final for Atalanta as further evidence of his impact at club level.

Lookman has been the standout performer for the Super Eagles at back-to-back Africa Cup of Nations tournaments, directly contributing to 11 goals (six goals and five assists) in 13 appearances that saw them winning a silver and bronze medal.

Peseiro, who handed Lookman consistent opportunities during his tenure, also dismissed suggestions that he is difficult to manage, describing him instead as grounded and responsive when given trust and freedom on the pitch.

“Lookman does not act like a star, he is very easy to manage, you just have to let him be free,” he said.

Peseiro said the 28-year-old’s immediate impression in Spain underlined his ability. He urged patience as the player settles but maintained that his composure and talent were already evident.

“Playing like that three days after arriving can only be explained by his quality. Now we must remain calm because he still needs to adapt, but it is already clear that he does not feel pressure. If you give him freedom and accept his boldness and creativity, Lookman has the potential to produce outstanding seasons and make an era at Atlético,” Peseiro said.

He described the transfer as a pivotal stage in Lookman’s career, adding that the move fulfils a long-held ambition to compete at the highest level in Europe while proving doubters wrong.

“For him it is a challenge and a very important step because he has achieved the objective he always had of reaching one of the best clubs in Europe and continuing to prove to England that they made a mistake with him,” he said.

Peseiro revealed that conversations in 2022 helped lay the groundwork for Lookman’s resurgence. At the time, the forward had struggled for stability across spells at Everton, RB Leipzig, Fulham and Leicester City.

The Portuguese coach said Lookman had spoken candidly about his disappointment after falling out of favour with England’s youth set-up despite winning the Under-20 World Cup in 2017.

“He was still young, but he often told me how sad he was that after winning the Under-20 World Cup in 2017 and progressing to the Under-21s, England stopped calling him up. He did not understand it and believed he had a future there, but he had to accept it,” Peseiro revealed.

Now approaching his peak years, Lookman has added defensive discipline and physical strength to his attacking qualities, according to his former coach. Peseiro said the demands of Italian football accelerated his development.

“He has become more mature and complete. He can shoot, pass and beat opponents one against one. He has also improved greatly defensively and physically,” he said.

“He told me he suffered more in training in Italy than in Germany or England, but through effort he progressed in an area that was necessary. He is very professional and resilient. Even if it is not obvious at first glance, he fights, presses, defends and is very strong physically.”

Peseiro believes Lookman is at his most effective operating centrally behind a striker, where he can exploit pockets of space and influence matches with goals or assists.

“On the wing he can destabilise opponents and make good diagonal runs, but his best position is behind the forward. When he finds space inside, he can shoot, dribble or assist. That is where he is most decisive,” he added.