Ademola Lookman left Everton to join RB Leipzig on loan in January.
Former Everton defender Michael Ball has defended Ademola Lookman in his Liverpool Echo column after the young speed machine joined Bundesliga giants RB Leipzig on loan until the end of the season.
The 20-year-old was criticised by manager Sam Allardyce, who described England Under-20 World Cup winner as “stubborn” as he rejected a move to and English side in order to chance his arm at Leipzig.
It seems as though Lookman’s risk has paid off so far, coming off the Leipzig bench to score on his debut for his loan side and earn a 1-0 win over Borussia Monchengladbach.
Ball, who played for Everton for five years between 1996 and 2001, claimed Allardyce’s criticism of Lookman was unneeded while also stating that the Toffees manager should have been playing him more often.
“Sam Allardyce’s reaction to being told that news was prickly, but I really don’t understand him kicking off about the situation,” Ball said.
“Ademola is going to a team who are third in the Bundesliga, he is going to get minutes on the pitch and he will get opportunities to further his football education.
“What’s the problem? Sam hasn’t shown any belief in the boy since he arrived here, but it’s backfired on him so he’s spat his dummy out. I don’t blame the boy. He wants to play football.”
Lookman, who cost Everton £11million from Charlton in January 2017, has featured for just 152 minutes in the Premier League this season spread out across seven top-flight appearances.
That is despite scoring a brace against Apollon Limassol in the Europa League. He had fallen down the pecking order after the Toffees confirmed the signing of Theo Walcott while Yannick Bolasie returned from injury.
Lookman could be handed a start by Leipzig in their next outing against Augsburg on Friday night in the Bundesliga, as he looks to continue to prove Everton that they wrong to let him go.
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