Romelu Lukaku: I don’t have to prove anything to anyone

Romelu Lukaku left Chelsea in 2014 as a promising young talent. Seven years later, the 28-year-old returns to Stamford Bridge as an experienced world class striker. One of the lethal finishers in the game, Lukaku has explained why he was keen to work with Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel and how his experiences at Inter Milan has made him a complete player. The Belgian international was introduced to supporters and the media at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday afternoon. A decade on from his first unveiling as a Chelsea player, when he arrived from Anderlecht as a teenager, Lukaku has become a far more experienced player.

“It’s good to be back here having experienced success elsewhere, but also a different playing style, where it’s more technical-based and more tactical,” said Lukaku. “It was part of my plan, to try to experience different leagues. So I experienced Serie A, which was a league I always wanted to play in at one stage of my career. Going there you deal with a different kind of pressure, but it was good. As a player it’s a totally different game, very tactical, tight spaces, most of the games you only get one chance and if you don’t score it then it gets very difficult,” he added.

“That was very important for my efficiency, but also playing with my back to goal and the tactical aspect of the game, which is really important, so it was a good experience. The Italian game is so different, you have to make the right run or make the right movement to get another player free because we had a lot of possession, so we were playing in the opponent’s half and most of the time I had my back to goal and everything was going through me. So for me that was really an eye-opener and once I mastered it, then for me everything became easier, the game would slow down and I could control the game more and give more assists.”

Romelu Lukaku: I’m a self-motivator

Following his recent exploits at club and international level, Romelu Lukaku believes that everyone can now see the all-round striker he has developed into. He accepts that some people will always pigeon-hole him as a target man due to his physical presence. However, the Belgian striker isn’t concerned with trying to prove them wrong. “I don’t have to prove anything to anyone. The only thing that motivates me is myself. I’m a self-motivator, I always have been. That’s something I thought to myself when I went to Inter: I’m out of this zone where people are seeing me as a certain type of player that I’m not. I’m much more than what people are seeing.”

“So I think me going to Inter basically showed the world what I can do, and also me playing with the national team of Belgium shows people what I can do. Being with my back against the wall is something that I’ve had since a very young age, so it’s nothing new to me. I’ll do my work on the pitch and whatever people are saying, I let them talk. They have a perception, they don’t know me, but my performances have always done the talking.”