Romelu Lukaku slammed ‘useless’ comparison with Cristiano Ronaldo, stating he has a long way to go before even coming closer to the Portuguese’s achievements.
Romelu Lukaku and Cristiano Ronaldo have been the names that made headlines in the Premier League this summer. Both top goalscorers have moved on from Serie A and returned to England this summer to renew their rivalry here.
Both strikers had been in prolific form since arriving in Italy. Ronaldo netted 81 league goals during his three-year stay with Juventus, while Lukaku managed 47 strikes in Serie A in two seasons with Inter Milan. The Belgian re-joined Chelsea in a massive deal and recently revealed how he forced a move away from Inter.
Meanwhile, Ronaldo was a surprise signing on many counts as nobody expected Manchester United to bring the Portuguese back to Old Trafford. However, late drama in the transfer market involving Manchester City compelled Manchester United into signing the striker.
With the forwards now set to resume their rivalry in England, the media has been busy comparing the two stars. Lukaku rather humbly insisted not to compare them, suggesting Ronaldo is miles ahead of him in terms of what he has achieved during his illustrious career.
Goal published comments from Lukaku on the matter as the striker addressed the media before Belgium’s game against the Czech Republic. The Chelsea star insisted these comparisons are ‘useless’, and he still has a long way to go before coming closer to Ronaldo’s achievements.
Lukaku said, “Don’t ever compare me to Cristiano Ronaldo, never. Cristiano Ronaldo is, for me, in the top three best players in the history of football. I’m not going to rank him from first to third, but he’s in there.
“What he has achieved in football today for players of my generation is something exceptional. I was lucky enough to play against him in Italy, and now that he’s back in the Premier League, it’s all good for English football. As for the rest, comparing statistics and all that, it’s useless.”
Lukaku earned his 100th cap for Belgium against the Czech Republic on Sunday, in the same week that Ronaldo scored his 110th and 111th international goals. With those strikes, the Portuguese moved two clear of Iranian legend Ali Daei to become the all-time top scorer in international football.
