Exclusive: Lukaku insists he's at Everton to make history
Everton's Romelu Lukaku celebrates scoring his side's second goal
If one player has signalled the way forward for Everton FC lately it’s Romelu Lukaku.
And it wasn’t just with his hand gesture to the bench, after the blistering goal against Arsenal that helped send the Blues to within a point of the Champions League qualifying places on Sunday.
The powerful loan striker held four fingers aloft before leaping onto delighted manager Roberto Martinez , in a show of solidarity to the man he credits with making him a better player.
“It meant fourth,” says the 20-year-old as we discuss his spontaneous celebration. “For me that’s my ambition, that’s why I play football now – to make history and leave my mark wherever I go.
“At this moment that’s my drive. I’m a fierce competitor and I want to win every game on the run in.
“I’ve said since I came back from my injury I’ll do everything that I can to help the club qualify for the Champions League and do well in the Cup.
“We didn’t succeed in winning the cup but in the league I think we’re all good.”
Lukaku’s hot streak of five goals in Everton’s last seven games has coincided with Martinez’s men being talked about as genuine top four contenders again.
And even though his latest strike against the Gunners moved him to within three of his 17-goal haul on loan at West Brom last term, and more importantly left him capable of bagging more Premier goals than any other Everton striker, he insists individual plaudits are not his focus.
“I want to leave my mark in so many ways but ending in fourth would be the main one,” he says. “I play football to win and I say in every interview I’ve done I focus more on winning than scoring goals.
“Scoring goals comes as part of that because you need goals to win games and that’s my job. But the focus is winning games because if I’m only set on scoring I might be happy if I scored but we don’t win and that’s never good.
“Football is a team sport and there are 18 people involved on a match day, 25 in the senior squad. You need to think about your team-mates and the fans in the stadium.
“That’s why ending fourth would mean a lot. I would have pushed myself to another level and reached a higher level than last year.”
Everton fans have taken the big front man to their hearts and would love to see him become a permanent signing in the summer, but with the prospect of a World Cup on the horizon and still being contracted to Chelsea, Lukaku is as yet undecided on his future.
“I’m trying not to look too far ahead for now,” he explains. “I’m still two years under contract at one of the biggest clubs in the world.
“This is a team that is growing and for me I just want to help Everton instead of thinking about myself and the next step.
“There are so many things on the horizon like big games against Man United and City, then the World Cup, so I have to give it a place in my head but not focus on it. For now it’s just helping Everton finish fourth and then we’ll see.”
One thing is certain, Lukaku has enjoyed working with Everton’s bright young manager, and he made that clear with his celebration on Sunday.
“I appreciate the work everyone has done with me but on Sunday I just wanted to celebrate with him because we had been talking a lot about that game,” he says.
“I was convinced we could do something against Arsenal. We knew if we won a couple of games in a row that Arsenal would drop points somewhere and on Sunday I saw the desire and ambition in my team-mates.
“I play with those things but when you play in a team that all share those qualities you excel. That’s why I was so happy.”
Lukaku reveals how he felt a debt to the Blues after they allowed him to return home while he recuperated from the ankle injury which threatened to derail his loan spell.
“I spent a month in Belgium doing rehab while I was out and I kept thinking I need to make an impact when I come back,” he says as he recalls his mindset after the painful set-back he suffered during the catastrophic Anfield derby in January.
“I think since I’ve returned I’ve played far better than before at the start of the season.
“I feel fitter, stronger and my body is now used to playing 90 minutes consistently which is important because at one point I was running out.
“Just before my injury I was running out of fuel and then the injury came along which was bad luck.
“It set me back to be fair. It was unfortunate but in the end it helped. The medical staff sent me back home to Antwerp where I could do my rehab close to my parents’ house.
Steven Naismith celebrates scoring the opening goal with team-mate Romelu LukakuSteven Naismith celebrates scoring with team-mate Romelu Lukaku
“I was at a place called Move To Cure and worked hard with a physio called Lieven Maesschalck who I want to thank because it made a big difference.”
Lukaku recalls a conversation with Martinez shortly after he returned to Finch Farm, when he signalled his intent to the Toffees boss.
“Then when I got back I had one conversation with the manager and I said it clearly: ‘I’ll make a difference to the team now’,” he says.
“I’ll do everything within my capabilities to help this team. From then there was 10 days when I trained twice a day, and nobody was pushing me, but I did it for myself with the physical coach.
“I played against Arsenal (in the FA Cup) and started but I didn’t play too well. I scored but I didn’t play too well and we didn’t win.
“After that though I began to pick up momentum. I think I’ve only played badly once since then. I’m reaching the standards I want to reach and I was getting there in March.”
Source: Echo
