Manchester United striker Romelu Lukaku reckons he is on to ‘something special’ at new club after netting first goal against Real Salt Lake
IT MAY have been a friendly and the surroundings were unfamiliar — the Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah.
Opponents Real Salt Lake may be struggling to get into the Western Conference play-offs in the MLS.
But despite all that, Romelu Lukaku was up and running.
The £75million man had missed two big chances in his first run-out in a Manchester United shirt during the 5-2 win over LA Galaxy.
So the relief was palpable as the striker, 24, celebrated his 38th-minute goal, which was vital in the 2-1 victory.
He said: “I’m happy. I’m here to score goals and be the focal point of the team.
“This is the job I wanted. I have to make sure I stay focused and have the same ambition I’ve always had.”
Lukaku said he can sense there is something “special” coming at United under boss Jose Mourinho.
He said: “I know a lot of the lads from before, a lot of them are neighbours!
“I didn’t take a lot of time to settle in, I just want to be one of the characters who help us win.
“From the first day, when we had the meeting with the manager in Los Angeles, you just felt something special was happening.
“But it’s down to us now — we need to work hard every day and deliver in the pre-season games to be ready for the new season.
“There is still a lot of work to do, as a team we know we need to be much better. It’s a big club and that was the challenge I wanted.”
His joy was replicated by Mourinho, who said: “It’s just nice for him to score, not important for me.
“Before he scored I told him ‘I love everything you do on the pitch, don’t be worried about scoring or not scoring’.
“He gets behind people, works and presses well. I like everything he does.
“It’s easy to feel it because he was my player four years ago. His evolution has been great. He’s now a top striker.”
The Belgian is already impressing his new team-mates too.
Midfielder Ander Herrera said: “It was a fantastic goal. He didn’t panic, he was very calm.
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“He’s very strong and it’s difficult to win the ball from him, so he’s going to be very important for us.
“The work he does for us is massive.”
Defender Phil Jones also expressed what the new buy is going to bring to Old Trafford.
He said: “You can see he’s a strong player. He’s difficult for defenders to play against.
“You have to be cute against him, so he’s going to be a handful for a lot of players this season. We are lucky to have him.
“Hopefully he can score a lot of goals. He adds something different.”
Jones said the signing of Lukaku and centre-back Victor Lindelof has made United ready for a title push this season.
He said: “Last season was disappointing in the league, but we won the Europa League so that wasn’t bad.
“This year we have to start challenging for the title — I think we can definitely do it with this squad.
“We are relishing the start of the season. We’re definitely a lot stronger this year, we’ve recruited well.
“There is strength in depth and that’s what we need. We are gelling well.”
The recruitment will not stop either as the club pursue winger Ivan Perisic, although the £44m deal has been complicated by his inclusion in Inter Milan’s trip to China and Singapore.
United head to Houston to take on Manchester City next, with a 3am kick-off on Friday morning in England.
