Monday 25 January 2010

Teenage Mutant Ninja...Striker?

Now I may be very mistaken in believing that Romelu Lukaku is a mutant or a ninja, however he is certainly a teenager, and he is one of the hottest strikers in Belgium. On first view, many people claim he is pushing twenty years of age, well take four away from that and you have Lukaku's age.

Sixteen years old, and already the Belgian has ploughed his way to 10 senior goals for Belgian giants Anderlecht in a small amount of 18 games. A sensational record for what many people would consider a minor, and at an age in which I referee football matches. It is amazing for any young player to experience just a minor success in professional football, but to have repetitive successes at the highest level of the greatest sport on the planet is a highlight worth emphasising.

Lukaku's youth career is one of the most successful I have ever seen from any footballer. Not many players can ever say they scored more goals than they played in their career, but the Anderlecht 'boy' defied the odds to prove a threat to every youth team possible. A record of 68 goals in as many games for Brussels, and then 121 goals in 88 matches for Anderlecht is beyond belief. Inisde these goals, 26 of them were scored in 17 games, against players four and five years older than Lukaku himself, an unbelievable effort from a player yet to physically and mentally peak in football, and as a human being.
On the 24th May 2009, Lukaku came on as a substitue to make his first senior appearance against Standard Liege, and he scored his first senior goal in the 89th minute against Zulte Waregem. Since then he has become the third youngest player to compete in a UEFA competition after coming on as a substitute against Ajax in December in this year's Europa Cup.
Along with this, Lukaku already had four caps for Belgium Under-21s side, scoring on his debut against Slovenia including plenty of players who are 5 years Lukaku's senior.

Despite mainly entering matches as a substitute, Lukaku has attracted major interest from many european giants, including Chelsea, Real Madrid, AC Milan, Manchester United, Arsenal and Barcelona. Only weeks ago there were reports in Belgium that Chelsea had offered close to £10 million and a one-year loan back agreement with the Belgian outfit, however no more on that suspected offer has been revealed from either party. It is claimed the English club see Lukaku as an ideal replacement for Didier Drogba in his ability to score goals on regular occasions, and his out and out strength. At 6 ft 2, and weighing close to 14 stone, he certainly has the physicality which has made Drogba a worldwide hit, and friends close to Lukaku state that the striker's favourite player is in fact the 31-year-old Ivorian. He wouldn't be the first young player in the world to idolise a Chelsea star with Russian playmaker Alan Dzagoev seeing Frank Lampard as his admiration.
This begs the question if Chelsea's squad quality is too hot to handle for the greatest clubs worldwide. Their mixture of priceless experience and promising youngsters makes them a force in which the greats fear. Yet, it also makes them a star attraction for many futures of football. John Terry is living proof of this. Rejecting an offer from Huddersfield in his younger days, to stay and fight for a Chelsea place has seen him become arguably the best defender on the planet along with captaining both club and country.

One argument I will make for Lukaku. I do not think he is ready for the big time. Despite his outstanding record, the youngster is still developing as a person and as a footballer. I believe it is everybody's best interests that he stays in Belgium working on improving and perfecting the insane ability that he already has in his power. I'm not the only one to think that, Lukaku's father believes that his son should finish school and at least stay in Brussels until he reaches 18. Romelu's contract runs out in May 2012, by which time he will be 19, and even though he has the option to review another two years with arguably Belgium's most successful side, it would make perfect sense for Lukaku to move on, but for now, to stay would be the right decision.

Anderlecht's manager Ariel Jacobs, when asked by Sportsmail if Lukaku would stay at the club until he was 18, he replied: "It's maybe not realistic, but the thought is". Nevertheless, despite being one of the most promising prizes to climb the youth ladder, Jacobs says that Lukaku has to be treated like any other young player in order for him to progress naturally, and this includes cleaning the boots of the older players after matches. Respect to Jacobs from myself, he knows when a player is spoilt and when a player's reputation is never bigger than the club itself. He probably knows this but in case he doesn't, Lukaku still has masses to learn. At 16, I was spending the majority of my Sunday afternoons occupying the right back position...of the subs bench. I would occasionally start against the lower league sides, but on most days I'd have to wait 75 minutes to gain my five minutes of pitch glory. Lukaku is parading along the greatest stage of them all, professional football.
I could say I envy him, but I would be lying. Any new footballer to grace a huge reputation is no foe of mine. His introduction only prolongs the death of my beloved sport another twenty years.

Lukaku's brilliance has pressured Belgium's team manager Dick Advocaat to contemplate calling the young man up to the squad for the next European qualifying campaign. Again, this may be a step too far for a boy who still occupies his school classrooms. Advocaat may make the decision to not choose him, however clubs around Europe may not wait too long to sign the young man up, and with some of Europe's finest involved in the chase, Anderlecht may have to give in to the prospect of millions of pounds entering the club's bank account.

Many Thanks for reading

(Despite this post being about Lukaku, I will take a small time out to wish Paraguayan striker and recent Sunderland target Salvador Cabanas the very best on his recovery after he was shot in the head after a bar fight in Mexico City earlier today. The latest is that he is in intensive care, but reports he is brain dead were denied by a spokesperson. Get well soon Salvador Cabanas!)

G.M

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