Romelu Lukaku is an Old Trafford natural, who will score a mountain of goals for Manchester United , believes Ruud van Nistelrooy.
Reds legend Van Nistelrooy is still revered by United fans for his phenomenal goalscoring feats after being signed in 2001 by Sir Alex Ferguson.
A staggering 150 goals in 219 games confirmed his standing as one of the club’s top marksmen.
And now, Van Nistelrooy says
successor Lukaku can also hit the goal-scoring heights, after brushing off the pressures that inevitably come as a new striker at United.
Six goals in his first six games following a £75million summer move from Everton says it all.
And before the Belgium star, 24, faces his former club at Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon, Van Nistelrooy said: “Lukaku has made a good start at dealing with the pressure as a striker at United.
“There is always a price ticket around your neck, especially in the early matches. If you don’t score, people say, ‘Hey, he’s not scoring’. But Romelu is scoring goals and I’m certain that will continue.
“Like me, I think he is a pure No.9, playing through the middle. You wouldn’t put me on the wing.
The same with him. I was the same type of player, making runs behind, dangerous in the box and holding the ball up.
“He has made a real difference to United. He has scored goals from the off and has the right boss, in Jose Mourinho, to guide him.
There will be difficult phases to come. But Mourinho has been there and done it and will know how to guide him through any rough patches.”
Van Nistelrooy, who recently returned to United to play in a charity game for the Reds’ legends side, still follows his old club avidly.
The former Holland star is currently working with youngsters at his first club, PSV Eindhoven, and added: “It was great to see United win trophies last season.
“This time around, with the squad they have, I think they are capable of competing in both the Premier League and the Champions League.
“They definitely have the squad. It’s also important that they have width and quality in the side.
They look rock-solid, have creativity and goals up front. And soon they will also have Zlatan Ibrahimovic back. It will be great to have his quality and experience.”
Lukaku, though, is the United man in the spotlight with his electrifying start to life in a Reds shirt.
Last season at Everton, he hit 26 goals in 39 games, and Van Nistelrooy added: “There is no reason why he can’t score even more for United.
He is a player more than capable of breaking records, including mine.”
The Dutchman, 41, also has high hopes for teenager Marcus Rashford, who has made huge strides since Van Nistelrooy first clapped eyes on him.
He said: “I first saw Rashford in a UEFA Youth League game against PSV two years ago and he was a talent even then.
But it’s amazing how he has developed. I didn’t really imagine then that he would have broken into the first team around six months later.
“That says something about his ability to learn. That’s a good characteristic to have.”
It also helps having top players as a support crew – something Van Nistelrooy had at United.
He said: “I played with some great players – Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Roy Keane and David Beckham.
With all those players behind me, I just had to make a run and the ball was there.”
Source: The Mirror.
No comments:
Post a Comment