Lukaku: I return to Chelsea a leader and a complete player

Football
17 Aug 2021 • 12:43 AM MYT
Tribal Football
Tribal Football

Tribal Football covers news from the Premier League, LaLiga and Serie A

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Romelu Lukaku says Chelsea will get his best years second time around after his return from Inter Milan.

Lukaku believes that he begins his second Stamford Bridge spell a '"complete" player, before outlining his intentions to take on a leadership role within the dressing room.

"I just feel more complete," he told Chelsea's official website. "I've tried to master all the facets that a striker needs and I just want to keep improving on the small details all the time and keep improving on my strengths as well.

"I just want to try to help the team win and be available for the manager as well as for my team-mates. I want to make sure that they feel comfortable and they can lean on me in whatever situation we're in.

"I'm a leader but I'm also more of a gel person, making sure that everybody feels comfortable and confident.

"That's the way I lead. When I was at Inter and when I've been captain of the national team, I make sure that everybody is confident and knows what they have to do."

Lukaku added that he has already spoken with manager Thomas Tuchel about his role on and off the pitch, insisting that he is comfortable in being the focal point or running in behind opposition defences.

The 28-year-old also lifted the lid on his relationship with Blues legend Didier Drogba, with whom he has spoken to regularly as a mentor. Lukaku said phone calls have been frequent since his return to Stamford Bridge.

"Our relationship means the world to me," he said. "It's not like we talk once a month, I talk to the guy every few days!

"We have a group chat so we're constantly communicating and I've been on the phone with him a bit more in the past two weeks.

"I had a lot of questions to ask and he still knows a lot of people here so he really prepared me well with the last details.

"Now I just need to get to know the players and the manager a bit better and just be available as quickly as possible for the team."