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Welcome Romelu Lukaku
Isn't it great?
I find it fantastic that you are here. How is it going? - I'm fine.
How come you are in Belgium?
My brother just returned from a tournament in Italy. I had a day off and I wanted to see him.
And your brother did it very well in Italy, they won a tournament for minus 21 year olds.
Yes they won. They played the finale against AC Milan and won with 3-0.
I also want to congratulate his team.
Very well done. But minus 21 year olds. That means that, if you had stayed in Belgium ...
-Then i could have joined them, right? Yes.
That's unbelievable. That immediatly says a lot about how good you are.
How old are you now, Romelu? -19
19, and do you know where he plays Sien? -Chelsea
Half, half, half a point.
Under contract.
He is under contract with Chelsea, but is on loan at West Bromwich.
That is a team from Birmingham, where you are playing like a star lately.
Let us have a look at last weekend, you score 3 times.
Here we see the first time, you receive the ball and you score perfectly.
Only to see your goal rejected. Which you clearly didn't agree with.
Second goal, penalty.
Not a great shot, Romelu? -No, no.
No , in fact i was really stressing, because I always practice with Simon during training and i thought "He knows my Angle"
Belgian keeper, and that's the third goal. Purely on force and character
Mignolet comes out and then ...
How do they call that? What kind of goal is that?
A chance goal - a lucky goal.
Mignolet, comes out well but it didn't help.
Did you talk with mignolet about that goal after the match? -No
No? Not even an SMS to laugh?
No, no, no really not. Oh?
You didn't say.. -No i just said "well played" but ..
That's not true, he didn't play well. -For me he did, but anyways..
Too bad for him, but good for me. -absolutely.
It is going super well, you are 19 years old.
And in England they made a list of guys who are not 20 yet, and scored the most goals in a season.
The season is not finshed yet, and you are already in 4th place, with 12 goals.
Anelka is above you. So are Michael Owen and Fowler.
But below you - and that says a lot about your talent- Wayne Rooney, never scored as many when he was young.
Christiano Ronaldo, never scored as many when he was young.
That's incredible. Do you even realise that, Romelu?
Uh, yes , A little. A little.
In fact it's, because I started early, I have more chances to break records.
Yes, but even then.. You are still standing between the big names who scored in the Premier League.
You can be proud of that. -Yes, that's good, but in fact want even more.
I want to achieve more than I did until now.
I still want to make as many goals as possible, But I also want my team to end as high as possible.
Because if you look at the beginning of the season. During some games, I had 5 open chances. And I missed them all the time.
And then I arrive home and my dad said "Dude, what's going on with you?"
-"Dude"
But did you.. Last year you got a lot of criticism. I think for the first time in your career.
Yes. -Was there a moment you started to doubt yourself?
No, no. I think if you start to doubt yourself you should just quit.
Honestly, In England the press can completely destroy you.
That is easy said Romelu "If you doubt yourself you should quit". But.. You can't control doubt all the time.
-When you are 18, you arrive at one of the world's biggest clubs. And it doesn't go super well during the first season..
You have to be super strong mentally to cope with that. -Yes but at a certain point I realised it was going to happen like that.
-You kept it in mind? Yes , I knew it was going to change.
Because, you can't always have a good moment in your career.
The greatest players have always had a low for a year, at the age of 20, 21
Hopefully that happened last year for me.
Now I can just learn from last year's moments on a personal and professional level...
and look for ways to improve myself.
Do you have a little feeling of revenge now? -No, not really.
I am happy with everything that happens and the other players in the national team are also doing great.
Yes ,I am happy about myself. Everyone is developing well. And I hope we can continue that way.
Ok , let's go back 2 years in time. It's not that long ago.
And look at a fragment of "The School of Lukaku".
It was the moment you arrived at the stadium of Chelsea for the first time in your life.
Give me a ball and I'll stay here for 5 hours.
Mother of god..
this is just THE stadium.
The day I play here, is the only day they will see me cry back at home.
Otherwise not, never. Only when I play here.
And a year later,You played there. When are you going back?
As soon as possible.
Are you still in contact with Chelsea? It's still your motherclub. - A lot lately, the latest weeks.
They call you to ask you how you are doing or? -Yes they ask me how i'm doing.
They tell me "By next match we want you to should play like that or improve this."
So in fact, Chelsea coaches you?
The coach me in an individual way, yes.
They want to see me improve on some levels. For example my play, my back towards the goal and ..
They want me to be way more efficient. That's already good but.. -That can improve even more
That's something you do yourself aswell right? Rewatch entire games of yourself, I heard.
My week schedule is relatively boring in the beginning.
Monday, Tuesday, 2 times training. Wednesday is our day off.
On Thursday I train 2 times before noon. Friday another 2 times.
Match on Saturday, and the Sunday I'm off. Then I come home. I see my mom and leave again.
These are fragments, the ones we saw, of your first year with Chelsea.
I learned a lot last year. That if you want to be succesful you should work harder than the rest.
And last year .. -And you should have more talent i guess?
Talent is something you have, but something you can also develop.
With talent you can get far. But with working hard even further.
Sien, how does that work for actors?
I also believe that talent is something that is constantly developping.
-But i still think there is a difference, because he says "If you doubt yourself you should quit."
For us it is different, you doubt yourself constantly.
-Yes but.. And how you should do it..
Years ago, I still remember, backstage.
I had to bring a cup of coffee on stage. -Don't throw it!
No , no , no
And I stood there, shaking. And I thought to myself.
"That's too insane, That's stupid."
"Or you bring the cup on stage or you quit."
If you shake like that -If you are that nervous..
If you doubt yourself like that. Maybe it's not worth it.
And it was good that I thought to myself. "Let it be."
Are you nervous when you have to play against United or Manchester City?
No , then I want to be the first player on the pitch.
Because since you are young, you are dreaming of playing against Rooney
Or against Van Persie, or against Vincent Kompany.
Well against Vincent, somethimes not. I know that he wants to tackle me hard.
-Does he? Yes, yes
-Too hard? Yes too hard, but he does it on purpose.
On training with the national team, when I pass him. He stays put and looks at me.
A guy , 1.94m tall. He hits me in the chest. Ok I'm tall but still..
Yes, but that's he wants to challenge you a bit, Romelu.
Yes, but next time I will take him back.
Concerning the national team, Next year, in Chelsea almost half the team could be playing there.
We have: Hazard, the brother of Hazard. Then you have Thibaut Courtois
He is also on contract with Chelsea. Kevin De Bruyne , on contract with Chelsea.
You, perhaps playing for Chelsea again next year.
And they are interested in Felliaini.
It would be incredible, don't you think? -It would be funny, yes
Especially in preparation for the World Cup.
This year, with Kevin and Eden I had a lot of laughs on training in America.
The more the better.
How big do you think the chance is that you'll play with Chelsea again next year?
How much do you hope for it yourself?
I just hope that I play a season as well as possible.
And then we will see what happens. I also need to think in function of the national team and not of myself.
So, if I am on loan for another year. Then, ok, good. -That would not be a bad thing?
That would not be a bad thing, no. But if I have to go back to Chelsea and they say "Ok Romelu.."
-But then you want to actually play there. Not like last season. Yes , that is the final goal.
But I am realistic. Next year I am 20 year's old.
And then they say, "Romelu, baby.. he still has time"
And then I think by myself. "I almost played 200 games at the highest level."
-And you are also bigger and taller than anyone else. Yes correct but..
I don't have the same level of experience.
What is the biggest difference with the Belgian league?
-Speed of execution?
Yes, Do you know what that means, Karlijn?
That is the speed at which the passes are given.
the speed of everything, the passes , the tackles, ..
So Belgium is slow? -Yes, slower
For example, in England, if you receive the ball. And you don't pay attention..
Then 2 seconds later, you are lying on the ground screaming of pain.
-And in Belgium it's not like that? No, no..
-So it's better if you stay in Belgium?
We thought that the biggest difference between the Belgian and the English league, was the food.
Oh yes, the food in England is... -Terrible
Well..
Because we saw the following: This is your passport for the Belgian national team.
Weight: 93 kilograms.
And this is your passport for West Bromwich: 100 kilograms.
The one for the national team is correct. -93 kg?
With Anderlecht, i weighed 100 and a bit.
-And now? 95 and a little.
How come you lost weight?
I always hear that they train more on muscles and force in England.
-Yes, but the food is not that good.
The first time I arrived in England, I saw English players eat toast with beans...
And some saucage on top. And i thought to myself..
-Romelu, we noticed. England is the land of the tabloids. But you never appear in them.
-No How come?
Because I am always back at home. -Are you serious?
Yes, really, I wake up at 8am. The first thing I do is a prayer.
Then I call my mom to ask if everything is ok.
I ask her if she needs something.
Then i call my dad.
-Who then says "You are not doing well"
Dude, Dude
And then I go training. I finish my training. Go home and call my parents again.
And then i go home and then ... -So you never go out and discover the nightlife?
No, no
-And if you are in Belgium, tonight for example? No, no
This evening is sitting home with my brother, my mother
Isn't that a boring life Romelu? -Yes , but I have always done it like that.
Since i was 16, for example: the word "carré" at home was like something that came from the devil.
-The disco?
I still remember, when we were national champion with Anderlecht.
And the next day i had school.
I said "Dad, can i go to the disco?"
He looked at me with a look of.. I thought "Nope!"
But now, don't you live there alone Romelu?
-Yes So you can do what you want?
-Nope
So faithful?
I think it will all change the day you fall in love. and you say ..
Yes but if you fall in love then.. Look, we soccer players..
It's always the same. He does this, he does that..
If you start a relationship. Focus on that.
Don't focus on other things. You have duties..
You have little children looking up to you.
In fact, you are an example towards the youth.
And you should stick to that.
I don't want to spend all my time focusing on going out, girls, ..
I have a younger brother. Who also looks up at me.
I am his prime example, and then there is the rest of the family.
-So everything should give way until it's over?
Yes. To become succesful. And to be recognized.
As a good soccer player, but also as a good person.
Not as Romelu the guy who leaves the nightclub, and sprays champagne over everyone.
-Like most soccer players
Some do, and if that's fun for them. Ok. "Do you", I then think by myself.
Let us have another look at a fragment from "The School of Lukaku".
This is a mathematical comparison with a square ,a power.
So then we become: the power of ax +bx + c = 0
Another exercise? -Yes, yes, ..
That guy from mathematics..
I do not *** understand math. I swear!
I do not *** understand it. What is that D dominant?
I never heard of that.
-That's a repetition of last year..
Discriminant, Dominant, I've never heard of that.
Unbelievable Romelu, that's 2 years ago.
How your life has changed.
If I still played with Anderlecht I would be in school today.
-Do you still see your classmates?
Yes, I somethimes hear from some of them.
Some are going to college.
That one guy, named Marco. I still talk to him until today.
-Do you still come to Belgium from time to time?
Yes, every 2 weeks.
-What do you miss most?
My mother.
I wish you a lot of luck. And thank you for coming here. Romelu Lukaku.