Allardyce launches bizarre tirade against Lookman

Everton won a close game in the end 2-1 against Leicester City, but the real drama was saved for the post-match press conference where he went into an odd rant about youngster Ademola Lookman.

It was announced just minutes before kickoff today that the winger would be going to RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga on loan, with no option to make a permanent transfer at the end of the season.

However, it appears Lookman’s attitude has rubbed Allardyce the wrong way.

“I think that it’s one of the most unusual situations I’ve been in. We’ve got some deals but he’s adamant he chooses Germany, it was his choice. So we let him go where he wanted to.

“For me, Oliver Burke went there and couldn’t wait to get back. Going there and not being able to speak the language at such a young age and on your own is a massive challenge.

“We tried to persuade him not to because I think that’s a big challenge for his development. We wanted him to go out on loan in the hope he will play first-team football every week.

“We had a much better opportunity to give him that but his stubbornness got him his own way in the end. I hope he proves us all wrong because it’s important for him and very important for us that he goes and develops there.

“They’re in a good position in the Bundesliga so it’ll be very interesting to see. I hope he is very successful because that brings him back here and he becomes a threat in our squad and the first team next season.”

It is obviously understandable that Lookman was frustrated about not getting playing time at Everton - the Blues are slow and lack width, and Lookman is fast and a wide player. You’d think it was a match made in heaven but for some reason Allardyce had no interest in playing him.

The manager has already expressed his irritation that the Blues would be playing on Deadline Day when he would rather be sorting out incoming and outgoing players. Did that frustration carry over into going off on Lookman?