It’s fair to say that Romelu Lukaku has been underappreciated for a large portion of his career, but it finally feels as though the 28-year-old is getting the respect he merits.
Following an outstanding title-winning season with Inter Milan, the giant striker bagged a brace in Belgium’s convincing 3-0 victory over Russia on Saturday – underlining his talent.
Another session today@dries_mertens14 kept up with a lil workout after training! Good shit my bro 😉Tomorrow another day @belgianreddevils let’s pic.twitter.com/dz0cZ5u6Me— R.Lukaku Bolingoli9 (@RomeluLukaku9) June 14, 2021
Another session today@dries_mertens14 kept up with a lil workout after training! Good shit my bro 😉Tomorrow another day @belgianreddevils let’s pic.twitter.com/dz0cZ5u6Me
But it hasn’t always been easy for Lukaku to win over his critics and prove his doubters wrong. Until now, that is.
Having made a name for himself in his homeland with Anderlecht – netting 41 goals in 98 games – Lukaku joined Chelsea in 2011.
However, he failed to score in 15 appearances for the Blues and subsequently enjoyed a successful loan spell with West Brom – scoring 17 goals in 38 matches.
In 2013, Lukaku swapped London for Merseyside and teamed up with Everton. Across a four-year stint with the Toffees, he racked up 87 goals in 166 outings.
He then moved to Manchester United in 2017 and bagged 42 goals in 96 appearances for the Red Devils.
Still, despite his impressive goalscoring record, Lukaku found himself surplus to requirements at Old Trafford and was sold to Inter Milan in 2019.
Since then, the prolific forward has taken his game to another level. In 95 matches for the Nerazzurri, he has netted 64 goals – averaging a goal every 1.48 games.
On top of that, Lukaku has contributed 16 assists since moving to San Siro. But above all, he has become one of the best all-round strikers on the planet.
The forward notched 30 goals and ten assists in all competitions last season, while his 24 Serie A strikes helped Inter to finish 12 points clear at the top of the table.
Inter had multiple heroes last term, yet there is no denying that Lukaku’s exploits were the most important.
Let’s not forget that, at 28, Lukaku is already Belgium’s all-time leading scorer – having scored a phenomenal 62 goals in 94 matches.
If the Belgian golden generation are to fulfill their potential and go all the way at Euro 2020, don’t be surprised if Lukaku is the main reason for his nation’s success.