CHAPTER 1 Style of play
Lukaku is a left-footed player,[170] who in 2014 was named by The Guardian as one of the ten most
promising young players in Europe. A large and physically powerful striker from an early age, with an
eye for goal, Lukaku has been known to use his physicality to get around defenders.[9][36] However,
despite his size, strength, physical build, and ability to hold-up play with his back to goal, his favoured
role is not as a target-man in the centre, but as an out-and-out striker or poacher; due to his tactical
versatility, he is also capable of playing as a winger.[171] A well-rounded forward, who is also strong in
the air, beyond his physical qualities and goalscoring ability, he possesses pace, athleticism,
awareness, good link-up play, technical attributes, and vision, as well as an ability to get into good
attacking positions or create space for teammates with his intelligent runs off the ball.[172] Although he
was once criticised by pundits for his limited defensive contribution, he has since been praised by his
managers for his work-rate off the ball.[173] However, despite his ability, he has also come into criticism
in the media at times over his movement and first touch.[174][175][176][177]
CHAPTER 2 Influences
In a 2016 interview with ESPN, Lukaku named Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka as the two strikers
who made him want to play for Chelsea, but it was the mention of a third striker during the interview,
his idol Ronaldo, that lit him up with excitement, with Lukaku stating,
"Ronaldo changed football. He was the one you would look at. You would see him doing stepovers and you were thinking: 'Who does this?' You would see defenders falling over and you were like:
'Wow.' The goals that he scored, and at crucial times. He scored goals where you were like: 'Oh man,
this is not serious.'"
— Lukaku speaking to ESPN on his idol, Ronaldo.[178]
Crediting the former Brazilian striker as his major influence as a kid, Lukaku added, "He changed the
dimension of a striker. He was fast, he can dribble like a winger, run like a sprinter, he was as strong
as an ox".[178] When mentioned that he shares certain characteristics with the Brazilian, Lukaku
responded, "Be like Ronaldo? There is only one Ronaldo".[178]
CHAPTER 3 Personal life
Lukaku was born in Antwerp, Belgium[180] to Congolese parents.[181] His father, Roger
Lukaku,[182] played professional football and was capped at international level by Zaire.[183] He has a
younger brother named Jordan, who has progressed through the youth academy at Anderlecht[182] and
currently plays for Royal Antwerp in Belgium.[184] His cousin Boli Bolingoli-Mbombo plays as a left-sided
winger or defender for Celtic.[185]
[179]
Lukaku was the subject of a television documentary series called De School Van Lukaku (Lukaku's
School) shown on the Dutch-speaking Eén network. The reality show followed the teenage Lukaku
and his classmates during the course of a year at the Saint-Guidon Institute, a school in Brussels,
where the footballer was based while with the Anderlecht youth team.[186] In 2009, the series followed
the school as it made a field trip to London, visiting Chelsea's Stamford Bridge ground. Lukaku said at
the time, "What a stadium. If one day in my life I will cry, it will be the day I play here. I love
Chelsea."[187] In addition to his native French and Dutch, Lukaku can speak fluent English, Portuguese,
Italian, Spanish and a Congolese Swahili dialect, and can also understand German.[188] Lukaku has
stated his biggest idol was Didier Drogba.[189]
Lukaku is a practising Roman Catholic, praying frequently before or after matches. He made the
pilgrimage to Lourdes in 2014.[190] He is teetotal.[191] He is a flexitarian who eats plantbased, vegan food.[192] He is a brand ambassador for Beyond Meat and created a recipe for Lakaku’s
Beyond Bangers and Mash.[193]
CHAPTER 4 .Media and endorsements
Lukaku was the first Premier League player to join Jay-Z's management agency Roc Nation
Sports.[194] In 2018, he signed a record sponsorship deal with German sportswear company Puma, the
company's largest endorsement deal ever.[195]
CHAPTER 5 Activism
Lukaku at the centre, with the Belgian national football team in 2021
Lukaku has spoken out against racism he suffered while playing football, particularly the 2019–20
Serie A season, his first year playing in Italy.[196]
In 2020, Lukaku honoured George Floyd by kneeling and keeping one fist high in support of Black
Lives Matter when he scored in a game with Inter against Sampdoria.[197] This symbolic action was
inspired by American football player Colin Kaepernick who kneeled during the national anthem before
every game in 2016 as a peaceful manner of protest against police brutality towards people of colour.
Since then, Lukaku and many other players in Europe has taken an active role to take a knee on the
pitches.
In 2021, Lukaku said he's fighting "against all forms of discrimination, whether religious, linked to skin
color, [or] sexual".[198]
CHAPTER 6 Career statistics
CHAPTER 7 Club
As of match played 2 March 2022
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
League
Club
National
Cup
League
Cup
Ap
ps
Europe
Other
Total
Seas
on
Divis
ion
Ap
ps
Go
als
Ap
ps
Go
als
2008
–
09[199]
Belgi
an
First
Divisi
on
1
0
0
0
2009
–
10[199]
Belgi
an
Pro
Leag
ue
33
15
1
2010
–
11[199]
Belgi
an
Pro
Leag
ue
37
16
2
2
2
Anderlec
ht
2011
–
12[199]
Belgi
an
Pro
—
Go
als
Ap
ps
Go
als
—
0
0
0
—
11[a
0
—
11[b
—
]
]
—
Ap
ps
Go
als
Ap
ps
Go
als
—
1
0
4
—
45
19
4
—
50
20
—
2
2
Leag
ue
Total
Chelsea
73
33
3
0
1
0
—
2011
–
12[200]
Prem
ier
Leag
ue
8
0
2013
–
14[201]
Prem
ier
Leag
ue
2
0
10
0
1
0
3
0
Total
3
—
0
22
8
—
98
41
0
0
—
12
0
—
—
0
0
1[c]
0
3
0
1
0
15
0
West
Bromwic
h
Albion (l
oan)
2012
–
13[202]
Prem
ier
Leag
ue
35
17
2
0
1
0
—
—
38
17
Everton (
loan)
2013
–
14[201]
Prem
ier
Leag
ue
31
15
1
1
1
0
—
—
33
16
2014
–
15[203]
Prem
ier
Leag
ue
36
10
2
2
1
0
—
48
20
2015
–
16[204]
Prem
ier
Leag
ue
37
18
3
3
6
4
—
—
46
25
2016
–
17[205]
Prem
ier
Leag
ue
37
25
1
1
1
0
—
—
39
26
14
1
68
7
7
9
4
9
8
—
16
6
87
34
16
6
5
2
0
8[e]
5
51
27
Everton
Total
Manches 2017
ter
–
United
18[206]
Prem
ier
Leag
ue
9[d]
8
1[c]
1
2018
–
19[207]
Prem
ier
Leag
ue
Total
Inter
Milan
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
3
1
1
0
9[e]
2
66
28
9
6
3
0
17
7
—
1
1
45
15
96
42
Serie
A
36
23
4
2
—
11[f]
9
—
51
34
2020
–
21[209]
Serie
A
36
24
3
2
—
5[e]
4
—
44
30
72
47
7
4
—
16
13
—
95
64
17
5
3
2
4
0
4[e]
2
2[g]
2
30
11
41
4
198
32
19
20
4
68
38
4
3
53
8
262
2021
–
22[210]
Prem
ier
Leag
ue
Career total
1.
12
2019
–
20[208]
Total
Chelsea
32
^ One appearance in UEFA Champions League, ten appearances and four goals in UEFA Europa
League
^ Three appearances and three goals in UEFA Champions League, eight appearances and one
goal in UEFA Europa League
^ Jump up to:a b Appearance in UEFA Super Cup
^ Appearances in UEFA Europa League
^ Jump up to:a b c d Appearances in UEFA Champions League
^ Five appearances and two goals in UEFA Champions League, six appearances and seven goals
in UEFA Europa League
^ Appearances in FIFA Club World Cup
CHAPTER 8 International
Main article: List of international goals scored by Romelu Lukaku
As of match played 7 October 2021[211]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team
Belgium[N1]
Year
Apps
Goals
2010
8
2
2011
5
0
2012
5
1
2013
8
2
2014
11
6
2015
5
0
2016
14
11
2017
9
9
2018
14
14
2019
5
7
2020
5
5
2021
12
11
101
68
Total
CHAPTER 9 Honours
Anderlecht

Belgian Pro League: 2009–10[199]
Inter Milan


Serie A: 2020–21[212]
UEFA Europa League runner-up: 2019–20[213]
Chelsea


FIFA Club World Cup: 2021[214]
EFL Cup runner-up: 2021–22[215]
Belgium

FIFA World Cup third place: 2018[216]
Individual











IFFHS World's Best International Goal Scorer: 2020[217]
Belgian Sportsman Promising Talent of the Year: 2009[218]
Belgian Bronze Shoe: 2009[219]
Belgian Silver Shoe: 2010[220]
Ebony Shoe: 2011[221]
Everton Young Player of the Season: 2015–16[222]
Everton Goal of the Season: 2015–16[222]
Premier League Player of the Month: March 2017[223]
PFA Team of the Year: 2016–17 Premier League[70]
Everton Player of the Season: 2016–17[224]
Everton Players' Player of the Season: 2016–17[224]











PFA Fans' Player of the Month: August/September 2017[225]
FIFA World Cup Bronze Boot: 2018[163]
Italian Football Hall of Fame (Davide Astori Fair Play Award): 2019[226]
Premio internazionale Giacinto Facchetti: 2020[227]
UEFA European Championship Team of the Tournament: 2020[228]
UEFA Europa League Squad of the Season: 2019–20[229]
UEFA Europa League Player of the Season: 2019–20[230]
Serie A Player of the Month: February 2021[231]
Serie A Most Valuable Player: 2020–21[232]
UEFA Nations League top scorer: 2020–21[233]
Best Belgian Abroad: 2020, 2021[234][235]
CHAPTER 10 Notes

^
Lukaku caps against Romania on 14 November 2012, against Luxembourg (included his hattrick goals) on 26 May 2014 and against Czech Republic on 5 June 2017 were counted
by RBFA, but not officially recognised by FIFA due to an excessive number of substitutions that
violated the Laws of the Game.[236][237][238][