Romelu Lukaku

Romelu Lukaku is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a forward for the Belgium national team and Serie A side Inter Milan. He is currently on loan from Premier League side Chelsea FC.

Early Life

Romelu Lukaku was born on May 13, 1993, in Antwerp, Belgium. He began playing football at a young age and joined his local club, Rupel Boom, when he was just six years old. He quickly caught the attention of scouts from several Belgian clubs, and he eventually joined Lierse SK's youth academy when he was 13 years old.

Lukaku's impressive performances in Lierse's youth teams caught the attention of Anderlecht, one of the most successful clubs in Belgium, and he joined their youth academy in 2006. He continued to develop his skills and quickly became one of the top prospects in Belgian football.

Club Career

Lukaku began his professional club career at Anderlecht, where he made his first-team debut in 2009 at the age of 16. He quickly established himself as one of the most promising young talents in Belgian football and helped Anderlecht win the Belgian Pro League title in the 2009-10 season.

In August 2011, Lukaku joined English Premier League club Chelsea for a reported fee of £20 million, making him one of the most expensive teenagers in the history of football. However, Lukaku struggled to establish himself in Chelsea's first team and was loaned out to West Bromwich Albion and Everton in the following seasons.

Lukaku's loan spell at Everton was particularly successful, as he established himself as one of the top strikers in the Premier League and scored 25 goals in the 2016-17 season. His impressive performances caught the attention of Manchester United, who signed him for a reported fee of £75 million in the summer of 2017. In total, he scored 87 goals in 166 appearances for the Toffees.

He made his debut against Real Madrid and even scored a goal. However, his stint with Manchester United was a forgettable one as he struggled to recreate his magic for the Old Trafford faithful. Despite his decent goal record of 42 goals in 96 appearances, he was wasteful in possession and struggled to maintain his fitness.

After two seasons at Manchester United, Lukaku joined Italian Serie A club Inter Milan in the summer of 2019 for a reported fee of €80 million. Lukaku became a key player for Inter Milan and helped them win the Serie A title in the 2020-21 season.

In the summer of 2021, English club Chelsea broke their club-record transfer fee to sign the Belgian back to the Premier League for £97.5 million. This move would backfire for both sides as Lukaku largely struggled for form and made his intention of wanting to return to Inter Milan known to the public. Prior to the 2022-23 season, he got his wish and was loaned back to Inter Milan for £6.9 million.

International Career

Lukaku made his international debut in the year 2010 when Belgium played a friendly match against Croatia. He scored his first goal for his nation in 2012 when they were playing against the Netherlands.

Lukaku has played in several major international tournaments for Belgium, including the 2014 and 2018 FIFA World Cups and the UEFA European Championships in 2016 and 2020. He has been a key player for Belgium in these tournaments and has scored important goals for his country, however, Belgium failed to win any major tournament.

At the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Lukaku was one of the top scorers in the tournament, scoring four goals and helping Belgium reach the semi-finals. He also won the Bronze Boot for his performance in the tournament.

To date, Lukaku has made 105 appearances for Belgium, scoring an impressive 71 goals.

Records

• He is the first player to score 50 goals for the Belgian national team.

• He is the youngest foreign player to score in the Belgian Pro League, having scored his first goal at the age of 16 years and 11 months.

• Lukaku became the first player to score a hat-trick in a competitive match for Belgium at the age of 19 years and 10 days.

• In the 2016-17 season, Lukaku became the first Everton player to score 25 or more goals in a single Premier League season.

• He is the first player in the history of the UEFA Europa League to score in eight consecutive matches.

• Lukaku scored nine goals in his first nine games for Inter Milan in the 2019-20 season, becoming the first player to do so in the club's history.

• He became the first player to score in each of his first two games for Chelsea in the UEFA Champions League.

• Lukaku scored the fastest goal in UEFA Super Cup history, scoring after just 115 seconds in the 2021 final between Chelsea and Villarreal.

Awards and Achievements

Personal Life

Lukaku is a devout Christian and often expresses his faith on social media. Outside of football, Lukaku enjoys playing basketball and listening to music. He is also an avid gamer. He has been involved in several philanthropic initiatives, including setting up a foundation to support young footballers in his native Congo. He has also donated money to help build schools and hospitals in the country.

Net Worth

As of 2023, his net worth is estimated to be around €85 million.

Family

Romelu Lukaku's father, Roger Lukaku, was also a footballer who played for a number of clubs in Belgium. His younger brother, Jordan Lukaku, is also a professional footballer and plays for Royal Antwerp FC. Another younger brother, Paul, is a professional basketball player in Belgium.

Wife

Lukaku is married to Sarah Mens, whom he met when he was just 16 years old. The couple got married in 2017 and have a son together.

Houses

Lukaku owns two houses in the US and Belgium. In California, he has a mansion worth $30 million and in Belgium, he has an apartment in Antwerp worth $1.4 million.

He also has a multi-million-pound mansion in Greater Manchester area which has been furnished expensively with amenities including a jacuzzi, gym, and home cinema.