Romelu Lukaku: “Scoring goals is nice, but winning titles makes you special” | Chelsea

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The idea that he has a point to prove after his return to England does not matter to Romelu Lukaku. The new £97.5m Chelsea striker has heard his game being ridiculed before – comments about his first touch, whispers about his fitness – but he doesn’t intend to spend much time worrying about his critics.

“Being with my back against the wall is something I’ve experienced since I was young,” he says. “Nothing new to me. Whatever people say, let them talk. They have a perception. You want respect, but you don’t want to keep fighting for it because you will lose unnecessary energy.”

Lukaku knows his worth. The Belgian has put his disappointing spell at Manchester United behind him and is delighted to return to Chelsea, seven years after his departure for Everton. At first glance it looks like the final piece in Thomas Tuchel’s jigsaw: the player is capable of transforming Chelsea from a top-four team into title contenders. The European champions lacked last season’s top scorer and now have one of the world’s top scorers in Lukaku, who has benefited greatly from spending the past two years with Antonio Conte at Inter.

It’s not hard to see why Lukaku would want to leave Everton for Conte’s Chelsea in 2017, only to join United instead. They were unstoppable together at Inter. Lukaku’s career stalled somewhat at United, who didn’t see his best and needed a change of scenery after finding out he was no longer part of Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s plans.

United’s loss was Inter’s gain. Conte finally got his man, bringing Lukaku to Italy for £74m and working his magic on Belgium’s record scorer. The change in Lukaku was notable. He made adjustments off the field, became leaner after changing his diet, and his tactical awareness grew thanks to Conte’s training. Everything clicked and Lukaku became Italy’s most feared striker, helping Inter to end their 11-year wait for a title after scoring 24 goals and 11 assists.

Lukaku with former Inter Milan coach Antonio Conte: “He really helped me and showed me what it takes to win.” Photo: Miguel Medina/AFP/Getty Images

“Italian Serie A was a league I’ve always wanted to play in,” says Lukaku. You are dealing with a different kind of pressure. Antonio Conte really helped me and showed me what it takes to win. It’s a completely different game in Italy. Very very tactical. Tight spaces and in most games you only get one chance and if you don’t score it becomes very difficult. Efficiency was very important and I also learned to play more with my back to the goal.

“To know how to win is basically to push the barrier. We learned with Antonio how to go into the red zone. In the second season we were more consistent in winning the big games. The Italian game is very different. You have to do the right run or move to get another player for free. It’s always been. We have a lot of acquisitions.

“Most of the time I was back on target and everything was going through me. I remember having a conversation with Conte about it and he told me if I wasn’t good at it, I wouldn’t play. And it was in front of my eyes. Once I mastered this aspect, everything became easier I can control the game more and make more passes.”

“A dream come true”: Romelu Lukaku returns to Chelsea – VIDEO

Lukaku was happy at Inter but the club’s dire financial situation made it impossible for him to stay. Conte left after a disagreement with the board, replaced by Simone Inzaghi, and Chelsea jumped at the chance to reunite with Lukaku.

There is a feeling that the business is unfinished. Lukaku was 18 when he left Anderlecht for Chelsea in 2011 and found it difficult to break into the first team. He had loans at West Bromwich Albion and Everton, who eventually signed him permanently. “I was young and didn’t think I had developed as well as I am now,” Lukaku says.

“My journey has seen a lot of ups and downs but if you keep playing you will always get a chance. My relationship with the club has always been great and coming back feeling good.”

Lukaku, who is set to make his Arsenal debut on Sunday, is excited to play for Tuchel. He became a huge fan of the German after watching Chelsea last season. “Every game has a different plan,” Lukaku says. “That’s something I said to him in my first conversation with him. I said, ‘Look, I’m trying to figure out what you’re trying to do with the team, but I never understood that because every match was different.’ That’s what I like because I look at the match from a tactical point of view. I I don’t look at the match just to watch it.”

The plan would now be to pass the ball on to Lukaku, although he is not worried about personal glory. “It’s not about records. It’s about winning trophies. I’ve realized how different people attitude towards you when you win something. In the conversations I’ve had with Didier Drogba or John Terry or Antonio Conte, the respect I have was different when you start to win.

“That was something I really wanted. I wanted to win badly. I went to Inter and then we did. That’s the only thing that matters to me – winning. Score goals, that’s nice. I know I’m in a position where I can score a lot of goals. But winning With awards, that sets you apart.”

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