Belgium CT Roberto Martinez has assured Inter fans that they have “a unique No 9 who knows how to do it all” in Romelu Lukaku.
Lukaku became Inter’s record signing when he arrived from Manchester United in August and has made an immediate impact, already scoring five Serie A goals.
“He’s a unique No 9, physically strong: I think it’s important for every team to have a striker who harvests all his qualities,” Martinez told Gazzetta dello Sport.
Belgium CT Roberto Martinez has assured Inter fans that they have “a unique No 9 who knows how to do it all” in Romelu Lukaku.
Lukaku became Inter’s record signing when he arrived from Manchester United in August and has made an immediate impact, already scoring five Serie A goals.
“He’s a unique No 9, physically strong: I think it’s important for every team to have a striker who harvests all his qualities,” Martinez told Gazzetta dello Sport.
“Romelu dribbles, holds the ball up and – above all – scores. Being able to surpass 100 goals in the Premier League and being Belgium’s all-time top scorer tells you everything.
“This is what the Italian fans are starting to appreciate, a chameleon-like striker, able to do many things but always with the intention of scoring.
“He knows how to do it all. Therefore, lots of people go around looking for the things he was unable to do.
“There are strikers who know how to do only one thing, so no-one asks them to do anything else.
“Romelu’s strength is that he can always do something different: this is also a disadvantage because there are games where some of the things he tries fail to come off.
“He makes the pitch bigger and creates things for others: if people appreciated these things, even when he doesn’t score, then he’d be criticised less.
“I invite fans to go back over his career: at 16 he was already scoring goals for Anderlecht, then at Everton ge was important, getting used to the physicality of the Premier League.
“At that point, always putting the team before himself, he matured: now he’s ready to win a title abroad and I think that’s what he wants to do with Inter.
“When you put something in your head, you get it.”
For all the talk of ending Juventus’ grip on the Scudetto, the Belgian has yet to score in the Champions League this season…
“History shows that Italian teams have had strong, physical defenders. Romelu is more used to the Champions League.
“He’s been playing in it for a long time so I think he’ll find it less of a struggle, even if Borussia [Dortmund] have several top individuals.”