Surprised Charlton Athletic verdict made on £52m-rated star - 'I don't think anyone could've predicted' post-Addicks exploits | OneFootball

Football League World's Charlton Athletic fan pundit has discussed the glittering career of Ademola Lookman after his Addicks exit

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Charlton Athletic's youth production line has birthed a number of future stars in years gone by, with the Addicks routinely utilising and carefully cultivating a strong talent pool within the South London area and beyond.

Former England internationals, ranging from Lee Bowyer, Jermain Defoe and Paul Konchesky to Ezri Konsa, Scott Parker, Nick Pope and Jonjo Shelvey all stand as notable alumni from Charlton's esteemed academy system before graduating to Premier League success.

Throughout the English Football League, a number of Addicks academy products can also be found, such as Mason Burstow, Alfie Doughty, Karlan Grant and Albie Morgan, and the first-team pathway to Nathan Jones' first-team remains intact today with the likes of Karoy Anderson, Tyreece Campbell and Miles Leaburn having all come through the ranks.

Two of the most notable products in recent memory, of course, are Joe Gomez and Ademola Lookman, who each impressed for Charlton at Championship level before earning moves to Merseyside with Liverpool and Everton respectively. Gomez joined Liverpool after making just 24 appearances for the Addicks in the 2014/15 campaign and has remained at Anfield ever since, though it's the success of the latter which perhaps provokes the greatest surprise.

Surprised Charlton Athletic verdict offered on Ademola Lookman's career success

Gomez' departure was compensated for by the emergence of Lookman, who broke into the side the season after and scored 12 goals from just 49 appearances in the Championship and in League One before switching to Everton in a reported £11 million deal at the age of 19.

The tricky wide-man famously scored on debut in a 4-0 rout of Pep Guardiola's Manchester City just ten days after signing but would struggle for game-time throughout his time at Everton, which included a productive loan spell with RB Leipzig in the second-half of the 2017/18 campaign.

Lookman would later join the German side on a permanent basis, though he struggled to hit the heights of his temporary stint and returned to England in mixed loan moves with Fulham and Leicester City. Since joining Serie A outfit Atalanta in August 2022, however, the ex-Addicks flyer has enjoyed a new lease of life, establishing himself as one of the most potent attacking threats in Italian, and indeed European football.

Now aged 27, the 30-cap Nigerian international has scored more than 50 goals from just north of 120 appearances in Bergamo. Equally adept at leading the line as a striker, Lookman scored all three goals in Atalanta's 2024 UEFA Europa League triumph over Xabi Alonso's domestically-dominant Bayer Leverkusen side, which saw him finish 14th in that year's Ballon d'Or rankings, and he was reportedly valued at a staggering £52 million by Atalanta amid interest from Arsenal in the summer.

It can be easy to forget, then, that his unconventional route to stardom all started at Charlton. Football League World asked our Addicks fan pundit, Sam White, whether he is surprised at Lookman's success after leaving The Valley, or if he always envisaged world-class potential within the ex-England youth international's arsenal.

In Sam's view, nobody could've dared to predict just how successful Lookman would gone on to become, even if he did recognise the forward's talent for Charlton at a remarkably young age.

"To be honest, I don't think anyone could've predicted how high Lookman has gone," Sam told FLW.

"When he was at Charlton, I think he was 18 or 19, maybe even younger actually. He came in at one of the tough times in Charlton's recent history and was a huge spark in the team as we still got relegated.

"He was someone that looked so good on the ball, and obviously if you're in the Championship, and especially if you're a Charlton fan, you kind of expect your best players to attract the interest of big teams. Dare I say it, you're probably hoping he goes somewhere a bit better than Everton.

"He went there and did okay but never really kicked on in the UK.

"So you keep tabs on him, he's one of your own and whatever, and especially when they go abroad, you have that sense of pride because not many players do go abroad from academies.

"But no, I don't think anybody could've foreseen him doing so well at RB Leipzig, especially now at Atalanta. This guy is being talked about as if he hasn't got this Premier League history and story of being in the UK anyway, especially as he was linked to Tottenham.

"But he's done exceptionally well, I think coming from Charlton and a few years in our academy and first-team has helped him out. But I never thought he'd be going on to be shortlisted for the Ballon d'Or."

Ademola Lookman success should generate immense Charlton Athletic pride

The surprise at Lookman's success is accompanied in equal measure by an overwhelming sense of pride for those of a Charlton persuasion, who are, rightfully, immensely proud of their club for producing and kick-starting the development of a continental superstar.

He is, as Sam points out, one of the Addicks' own, and Charlton can always take some credit for the success which Lookman has enjoyed over the last few years.

Of course, few would've expected it to such a great degree, especially as the wide-man perhaps flattered to deceive with the likes of Everton, Fulham and Leicester — the former through little fault of his own — but he has been elevated to a new level after moving to Italy.

As aforementioned, Charlton's list of academy alumni is extensive and the Addicks will now be hoping that some of the current crop can follow on from those who have come before them and achieve successful careers at the highest level, with skilful winger Campbell perhaps best-primed to at this moment in time.