Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku is arguably one of the most clinical finishers in world football. But, failures always have their part in building a player into something special. The Belgian’s first stint at Stamford Bridge was dismal, coming to the club as a raw teenager. He made just 10 appearances for the Blues and eventually moved on to West Brom and Everton on a full-time basis.
Lukaku, who already has four goals for Chelsea this term, explained how the struggles with the Premier League giants 10 years ago shaped him into what he is today. Via Goal:
“It was painful and helpful, but I would say more helpful because it gave me the mentality and the mindset that I needed to become the player I am today.
“The team was very good but nobody saw the extra work they did after the training sessions. As an 18-year-old, I saw first-hand every day how much the Chelsea players worked on their craft.
“That’s when I knew that was what you had to do to become this type of player. I told myself ‘when I’m not playing, this is what I’m going to do’, and it basically just became a lifestyle.”
Indeed, there were some world-class players at Chelsea at the time. Frank Lampard, Didier Drogba, Fernando Torres, and Petr Cech. The list goes on. Lukaku saw first-hand how they handled their business and clearly, it’s stuck with him.
The Blues frontman has blossomed into the full package, much in part to Antonio Conte’s help at Inter. The Italian helped Lukaku in a number of areas, specifically with supplying assists and improving with his back to goal, which we’ve already seen on full display at Chelsea. Lukaku netted 64 in 95 appearances for Conte en route to a Serie A title in 2020-21.
While Lukaku hasn’t scored in his last five games for the Blues, there’s no questioning that he is one of the most lethal attackers around.
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