Romelu Lukaku reveals Ronald Koeman convinced him to stay at Everton for one more season

Aditya Devavrat 09:55 15/09/2018
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  • Romelu Lukaku and Ronald Koeman.

    Romelu Lukaku has hailed the impact of former manager Ronald Koeman during some of the formative years of his career as well as revealing how much he studies his own game in order to improve.

    The Manchester United striker had joined Everton on loan ahead of the 2013/14 season, with the move being made permanent at the end of that campaign. His prolific form for the Toffees had fuelled speculation of a move away from Goodison Park, but Koeman’s arrival at the club in 2016 convinced the striker to stay on for one more season.

    “Ronald Koeman came in and me and him really had an open discussion,” Lukaku told the BBC.

    “At the time, I could have left.

    “I said to him ‘you’ve been a pro yourself, you had an opportunity to go to Barcelona at the same age’ – because I did my research.

    “He said ‘if you stay, I really want to help you to become a better player’. When he said that I wanted to give him a chance.

    “That’s why I could see he was a centre-back who scored so many goals, as many as some strikers in their careers.

    “I understand why, because of his eye for detail. In training he wouldn’t give me a second, he was on me all the time, which I don’t mind, because mentally I am so strong.”

    Lukaku enjoyed a productive season under Koeman at Everton.

    Lukaku enjoyed a productive season under Koeman at Everton.

    Lukaku eventually moved a year later, joining United for £75million fee in the summer of 2017. After a solid debut season in which he scored 27 goals – the most he’s ever scored in a single campaign – the 25-year-old has set his sights on becoming even better.

    The striker revealed that he watches footage of himself from previous games in order to improve, which he credits as the reason for the improvement in his scoring record.

    “I try to look at as many games as I can from the season before, the mistakes I have done and the points I can improve on,” he explained.

    “In the first week, we come in and analyse what I want to work on throughout the season.

    “The reason I score more and more goals, season after season, is I know my mistakes from the past, I know my strengths and I work on my strengths, but the little points I want to get better and it’s constant.

    “Football is what, 15 years? I want to invest 100% of my life into the game, so when it’s all said and done, I don’t want to have regrets.”

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