Super Eagles forward, Ademola Lookman has revealed that Calvin Bassey was the first teammate he shared the news with after learning of his nomination for the 2024 Ballon d'Or award, Nigeriasoccernet.com reports.
In an interview with the Counter Attack Podcast, Lookman recalled the moment he found out about his nomination, saying: "I was on the bus on the way back from training. I saw our handle posted that I have been nominated for the Ballon d'Or. I was a bit surprised."
Lookman, who is competing against top players like Vinicius Júnior and Jude Bellingham, shared the news with Bassey, who was overjoyed.
“Obviously, I am in a room with Calvin Bassey and when I told him, he was just jumping up and down. He was very happy and was like 'you don't really understand'. That was when I took it in." Lookman said as par DailyPost.
The Atalanta winger's nomination came on the back of a memorable 2024 where he scored a hattrick in ethe Europa League final to help Atalanta win their first tittle ever and Nigeria’s first runners at the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations.
By Olujimi Dare Ogun