Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has hailed the ‘phenomenal attitude’ of Romelu Lukaku in the lead-up to the club’s Premier League game against Liverpool on Saturday.
The 24-year-old has been a glowing presence in the United frontline this term, and though he has been inconsistent on occasions, he has made it up at the end with a valuable contribution at the end in the form of a goal.
Speaking ahead of the Reds clash, Mourinho spoke glowingly about the Belgium international after Lukaku termed himself as the manager’s sergeant, he said: “I had a laugh with him. That’s fine. He’s an important guy for me, one of the guys that I trust. love the attitude, I love the character,” he said.
Lukaku featured in a three-man central defence, shortly after United had found the winner against Crystal Palace on Monday night, and Mourinho highlighted the trust between him and the marksman.
He added: “Against Crystal Palace, there was nothing that happened after our third goal but I told him central defender, so after the third goal he was playing central defender in a back five with Smalling and Lindelof because I couldn’t make any more changes. So when I say to the striker go there and do a job for me he is a sergeant. He is a guy you can trust, his attitude is phenomenal.”
Lukaku has now netted in back-to-back games against Chelsea and Crystal Palace in the Premier League, and this has taken his tally to 24 across all competitions.
Aside from his scoring exploits, the Belgian has showed an excellent work-rate and enthusiasm to get on the ball while his link-up play has also improved as the season has gone.
United are likely to adopt a cautious approach during the early stages of their league game versus Liverpool, but Lukaku can still expect a huge role upfront, where he has to combat a physical battle with Virgil van Dijk.
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