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Chelsea sign up teen prodigy from Belgium

Comment: 0 August 19th, 2011 by: admin

THE search is over for Romelu Lukaku.

Chelsea, the club he has been dreaming of joining, have completed his signing after reaching an agreement with Belgian side Anderlecht for a fee of around 20 million pounds (US$33 million).

“I dreamed to play for Chelsea since I was 10 years old, thinking about shaking hands with all those players like John Terry, Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba. It was just what I was searching for,’’ said the 18-year-old striker who is a household name back in his native Belgium.

He burst to prominence when still aged 16, he became the top goalscorer in the domestic league during the 2009-2010 season. He joined Anderlecht at that tender age and has since scored 33 goals in 73 matches. As a youth player for Lierse, he connected 121 goals in 68 games.
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In the last term, he netted 16 goals in 37 league appearances and made his first international goals in Belgium’s 2-0 victory over Russia last November. So far, he has ten international caps for Belgium.

Lukaku’s ambition to join the Blues was fuelled by his school visit at Stamford Bridge two years ago, recalling how he was amazed to arrive at the club with big ambition. “What a stadium! If one day in my life I will cry, it will be the day I play here. I love Chelsea,’’ he said back then.

New Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas described Lukaku as an “interesting young prospect.’’

The Blues host West Bromwich Albion on Saturday and Lukaku will be available for selection. He will be wearing jersey No. 18.

Lukaku knows there is high expectation of him but said he is ready to get acclimatised with the Premier League brand of play.

He is often compared to Drogba because of their same playing style, striking resemblance and similar height (6 feet, 3 inches). Being the new kid on the block, he wants to gain knowledge from the veteran from Cote d’Ivoire and other strikers and experienced players of the team who boast of other stars like Frank Lampard, Fernando Torres, Nicolas Anelka, and Salomon Kalou, among others.

Anderlecht manager Herman van Holsbeeck said Lukaku’s transfer was “a win-win situation’’ for both the youthful player and the club, after describing as a “shame’’ their inability to keep their top gun.

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