Romelu Lukaku
Encyclopedia
Romelu Benjamin Lukaku is a Belgian footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Chelsea
and the Belgium national team.
He previously played for Rupel Boom
, Lierse
, and made his professional debut for Belgian Pro League side Anderlecht
. Whilst playing for Anderlecht, he became the 2009–10 top scorer in Belgium as Anderlecht won the Belgian championship, and won the Belgian Ebony Shoe
in 2011.
at the age of five. After four seasons at Rupel Boom, Lukaku was discovered by scouts of Lierse SK, a Belgian Pro League team with an established youth academy. He played for Lierse from 2004 until 2006, scoring 121 goals in 68 games. After Lierse were relegated from the Belgian Pro League, Anderlecht
bought no less than 13 youth players from Lierse in the 2006 mid-season, one of which was Lukaku. He played three more years as a youth player with Anderlecht, scoring 131 goals in 93 games.
until 2012. and 11 days later he made his Belgian First Division debut on 24 May 2009 in the championship play off match against Standard Liège
as a 69th minute substitute for defender
Víctor Bernárdez. Anderlecht lost the match 1-0. He scored his first goal at senior level against Zulte Waregem in the 89th minute, after coming on as substitute for Kanu after 69 minutes.
regarding a possible transfer.
On 6 August 2011, an agreement was reached with Anderlecht for the transfer to the club for a fee reported to be around £13 million, rising to £18 million in add-ons.
Lukaku was given the number 18 shirt (formerly worn by Yuri Zhirkov
) and signed a five-year contract. He made his home debut in a 3-1 victory over Norwich City
in the 83rd minute, coming on as a substitute for Fernando Torres
. Lukaku made his second Chelsea appearance coming on as a substitute in the 3-1 defeat to Manchester United. Lukaku made his first start for the club in the Carling Cup against Fulham, where many of his crosses were misplaced, and his general play was disappointing. Chelsea did however, go on to win the match on penalties. He played and scored in a reserve game against Wolves
, and was then brought back into the team for the next Carling cup
match against Everton
. He performed much better in this match, with one notable piece of play being the outpacing and out-strengthing of John Heitinga
on the edge of the box, before he powered the ball across goal and just wide of the far post.
and scored a goal on his debut against Slovenia
.
On 24 February 2010, Lukaku was named for the first time in the Belgium squad for the friendly against Croatia
. On 17 November 2010, he scored his first two international goals in the friendly match against Russia
.
, played professional football and was capped
at international level by Zaire. He has a younger brother called Jordan
, who has progressed through the youth academy at Anderlecht. Lukaku was the subject of an acclaimed 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 multi-cultural school in Brussels, where the footballer was based while with the Anderlecht youth team.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.”
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
and the Belgium national team.
He previously played for Rupel Boom
K. Rupel Boom F.C.
Koninklijke Rupel Boom FC is a Belgian association football club based in Boom, Antwerp province currently playing in the Belgian Third Division. They play at the Gemeentelijk Parkstadion in Boom.-History:...
, Lierse
Lierse S.K.
Koninklijke Lierse Sportkring is a Belgian professional football club, from the city of Lier in the Antwerp province. Lierse has been playing in the Belgian Pro League since the 2010-11 season and they have already won the competition 4 times. They also have won 2 Belgian Cups...
, and made his professional debut for Belgian Pro League side Anderlecht
R.S.C. Anderlecht
Royal Sporting Club Anderlecht, usually known as Anderlecht or RSCA , is a Belgian professional football club based in Anderlecht in the Brussels Capital Region. Anderlecht plays in the Belgian Pro League and is the most successful Belgian football team in European competitions as well as in the...
. Whilst playing for Anderlecht, he became the 2009–10 top scorer in Belgium as Anderlecht won the Belgian championship, and won the Belgian Ebony Shoe
Belgian Ebony Shoe
The Belgian Ebony Shoe is a football award given annually to the best African player in the Belgian Pro League. The jury is composed of the coaches of Jupiler League clubs, the Belgian national team manager, sport journalists, and honorary juror...
in 2011.
Youth years
Lukaku joined his local team Rupel BoomK. Rupel Boom F.C.
Koninklijke Rupel Boom FC is a Belgian association football club based in Boom, Antwerp province currently playing in the Belgian Third Division. They play at the Gemeentelijk Parkstadion in Boom.-History:...
at the age of five. After four seasons at Rupel Boom, Lukaku was discovered by scouts of Lierse SK, a Belgian Pro League team with an established youth academy. He played for Lierse from 2004 until 2006, scoring 121 goals in 68 games. After Lierse were relegated from the Belgian Pro League, Anderlecht
R.S.C. Anderlecht
Royal Sporting Club Anderlecht, usually known as Anderlecht or RSCA , is a Belgian professional football club based in Anderlecht in the Brussels Capital Region. Anderlecht plays in the Belgian Pro League and is the most successful Belgian football team in European competitions as well as in the...
bought no less than 13 youth players from Lierse in the 2006 mid-season, one of which was Lukaku. He played three more years as a youth player with Anderlecht, scoring 131 goals in 93 games.
Anderlecht
When he turned 16 on 13 May 2009, Lukaku signed a professional contract with AnderlechtR.S.C. Anderlecht
Royal Sporting Club Anderlecht, usually known as Anderlecht or RSCA , is a Belgian professional football club based in Anderlecht in the Brussels Capital Region. Anderlecht plays in the Belgian Pro League and is the most successful Belgian football team in European competitions as well as in the...
until 2012. and 11 days later he made his Belgian First Division debut on 24 May 2009 in the championship play off match against Standard Liège
Standard Liège
Royal Standard de Liège, commonly referred to as Standard Liège Royal Standard de Liège, commonly referred to as Standard Liège Royal Standard de Liège, commonly referred to as Standard Liège (Dutch: Standard Luik [], German: Standard Lüttich , is a Belgian football club from the city of Liège....
as a 69th minute substitute for defender
Defender (association football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
Víctor Bernárdez. Anderlecht lost the match 1-0. He scored his first goal at senior level against Zulte Waregem in the 89th minute, after coming on as substitute for Kanu after 69 minutes.
Chelsea
In June 2011 Anderlecht general manager Herman van Holsbeeck said that they were in talks with Premier League club ChelseaChelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
regarding a possible transfer.
On 6 August 2011, an agreement was reached with Anderlecht for the transfer to the club for a fee reported to be around £13 million, rising to £18 million in add-ons.
Lukaku was given the number 18 shirt (formerly worn by Yuri Zhirkov
Yuri Zhirkov
Yuri Valentinovich Zhirkov is a Russian footballer who plays for Anzhi Makhachkala and the Russian national team.-Early life:Yuri Valentinovich Zhirkov was born in Tambov, on 20 August 1983. His father, Valentin Ivanovich Zhirkov worked at the "Revtrud" factory and his mother was a postwoman. Yuri...
) and signed a five-year contract. He made his home debut in a 3-1 victory over Norwich City
Norwich City F.C.
Norwich City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. As of the 2011–12 season, Norwich City are again playing in the Premier League after a six-year absence, having finished as runner up in the Championship in 2010–11 and winning automatic promotion.The...
in the 83rd minute, coming on as a substitute for Fernando Torres
Fernando Torres
Fernando José Torres Sanz , nicknamed , is a Spanish footballer who plays for Chelsea and the Spain national team as a striker....
. Lukaku made his second Chelsea appearance coming on as a substitute in the 3-1 defeat to Manchester United. Lukaku made his first start for the club in the Carling Cup against Fulham, where many of his crosses were misplaced, and his general play was disappointing. Chelsea did however, go on to win the match on penalties. He played and scored in a reserve game against Wolves
Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
, and was then brought back into the team for the next Carling cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
match against Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
. He performed much better in this match, with one notable piece of play being the outpacing and out-strengthing of John Heitinga
John Heitinga
John Gijsbert Alan "Johnny" Heitinga is a Dutch footballer who plays as a defender for English Premier League club Everton and the Dutch national team. A product of Jong Ajax, he previously played for AFC Ajax and Atlético Madrid, before signing for Everton in 2009. Heitinga previously represented...
on the edge of the box, before he powered the ball across goal and just wide of the far post.
International career
Lukaku was a member of the Belgium under-21 teamBelgium national under-21 football team
The Belgium national under-21 football team is the national under-21 football team of Belgium and is controlled by the Belgian Football Association. The team competes in the European Under-21 Football Championship, held every two years...
and scored a goal on his debut against Slovenia
Slovenia national under-21 football team
The Slovenia national under-21 football team is the national under-21 football team of Slovenia and is controlled by the Football Association of Slovenia.-Current squad:...
.
On 24 February 2010, Lukaku was named for the first time in the Belgium squad for the friendly against Croatia
Croatia national football team
The Croatia national football team represents Croatia in international football. The team is controlled by the Croatian Football Federation, the governing body for football in the country, and has been managed since 2006 by former player Slaven Bilić...
. On 17 November 2010, he scored his first two international goals in the friendly match against Russia
Russia national football team
The Russia national football team represents Russia in association football and is controlled by the Russian Football Union , the governing body for football in Russia. Russia's home grounds are Luzhniki Stadium, Lokomotiv Stadium , and Petrovsky Stadium in St.Petersburg and their head coach is...
.
International goals
| Goal | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 17 November 2010 | Tsentralnyi Profsoyuz Stadion Tsentralnyi Profsoyuz Stadion Tsentralnyi Profsoyuz Stadion is a multi-use stadium in Voronezh, Russia. It is currently used mostly for football matches. The stadium holds 31,743 people. The stadium was built in 1927.... , Voronezh Voronezh Voronezh is a city in southwestern Russia, the administrative center of Voronezh Oblast. It is located on both sides of the Voronezh River, away from where it flows into the Don. It is an operating center of the Southeastern Railway , as well as the center of the Don Highway... , Russia Russia Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects... |
1–0 | 2–0 | Friendly | ||||||
| 2. | 17 November 2010 | Tsentralnyi Profsoyuz Stadion Tsentralnyi Profsoyuz Stadion Tsentralnyi Profsoyuz Stadion is a multi-use stadium in Voronezh, Russia. It is currently used mostly for football matches. The stadium holds 31,743 people. The stadium was built in 1927.... , Voronezh Voronezh Voronezh is a city in southwestern Russia, the administrative center of Voronezh Oblast. It is located on both sides of the Voronezh River, away from where it flows into the Don. It is an operating center of the Southeastern Railway , as well as the center of the Don Highway... , Russia Russia Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects... |
2–0 | 2–0 | Friendly | ||||||
| Correct as of 17 November 2010 | |||||||||||
Personal life
Lukaku was born in Antwerp, a city in northern Belgium. His father, Roger LukakuRoger Lukaku
Roger Menama Lukaku is a former Belgian/Congolese football player. He played for KV Oostende, KV Mechelen en Germinal Ekeren. He is the father of footballers Romelu Lukaku and Jordan Lukaku.-Career:...
, played professional football and was capped
Cap (sport)
In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...
at international level by Zaire. He has a younger brother called Jordan
Jordan Lukaku
Jordan Lukaku is a Belgian footballer who plays as a Left Winger for Belgian Pro League club Anderlecht and the Belgium U19 team. He is also the younger brother of Belgium and Premier League club Chelsea forward Romelu Lukaku....
, who has progressed through the youth academy at Anderlecht. Lukaku was the subject of an acclaimed 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 multi-cultural school in Brussels, where the footballer was based while with the Anderlecht youth team.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.”
Career statistics
| Club | Season | League | Cup1 | Europe | Total | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Assists | Apps | Goals | Assists | Apps | Goals | Assists | Apps | Goals | Assists | ||
| Anderlecht R.S.C. Anderlecht Royal Sporting Club Anderlecht, usually known as Anderlecht or RSCA , is a Belgian professional football club based in Anderlecht in the Brussels Capital Region. Anderlecht plays in the Belgian Pro League and is the most successful Belgian football team in European competitions as well as in the... |
2008–09 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2009–10 | 33 | 15 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 4 | 1 | 45 | 19 | 7 | |
| 2010–11 | 37 | 16 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 4 | 0 | 50 | 20 | 7 | |
| 2011–12 2011–12 Belgian Pro League -Personnel and sponsoring:-During summer break:-During regular season:-League table:-Positions by round:Note: The classification was made after the weekend of each matchday, so postponed matches were only processed at the time they were played to represent the real evolution in standings.-Results:... |
2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | |
| Belgium | 73 | 33 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 8 | 1 | 98 | 41 | 14 | |
| Chelsea Chelsea F.C. Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four... |
2011–12 2011–12 Premier League The 2011–12 Premier League is the twentieth season of the Premier League since its establishment in 1992. The 2011–12 fixtures were announced on 17 June 2011 at 9:00 BST. The season began on 13 August 2011 and is due to end on 13 May 2012... |
3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| England | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | |
| Career total | 76 | 33 | 14 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 8 | 1 | 104 | 41 | 14 | |
- 1Also includes other competitive competitions, including the FA CupFA CupThe Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
and Carling Cup.
Club
AnderlechtR.S.C. Anderlecht
Royal Sporting Club Anderlecht, usually known as Anderlecht or RSCA , is a Belgian professional football club based in Anderlecht in the Brussels Capital Region. Anderlecht plays in the Belgian Pro League and is the most successful Belgian football team in European competitions as well as in the...
- Belgian Pro League: 2009–10
Individual
- Belgian First Division top scorer: 2009–10
- Belgian Ebony ShoeBelgian Ebony ShoeThe Belgian Ebony Shoe is a football award given annually to the best African player in the Belgian Pro League. The jury is composed of the coaches of Jupiler League clubs, the Belgian national team manager, sport journalists, and honorary juror...
: 2011 - Best EA Sports FIFA 12 Gamer: 2011
External links
- Official Website
- Romelu Lukaku at Anderlecht