Lukaku was young and had a lot to prove at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea legend remembers

Now, one of the best classic strikers in the world. Back in the day, when he came to Chelsea from Anderlect, Romelu Lukaku was undoubtedly talented but unrefined forward with a bright future ahead of him.

Joining the club in 2011, Lukaku came in a dressing room full of huge characters and leaders. In every position, there was a talented or an experienced player which knew his place in the hierarchy.

One of them was one of England's greatest full-back ever, Ashley Cole.

Cole remembers how “no one respected” Lukaku at Chelsea but luckily for the tall Belgian - his loan spells gave him a massive boost in confidence.

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Lukaku – who eventually left London and made the move to Everton in 2014 - has been linked with a return to Stamford Bridge.

Romelu struggled to make an impact with the Blues under various managers, and after spells at the Toffees and then Manchester United, Lukaku made the move to Inter Milan where he has thrived, proving himself as one of the best and helped Nerazurri to win their first Serie A title in 11 seasons.

The 28-year-old of Congolese descent scored 30 goals and assisted ten in 44 appearances for Serie A powerhouse in the 2020-21 season.

Cole recollects how hard it hard for Lukaku to make an impact in the Chelsea first-team with Didier Drogba ahead of him.

“He joined as a kid, he joined as a 17-year-old." Cole said on ITV.

“[He was] a raw talent, his game understanding was not great. Didier Drogba was his kind of father figure who used to help him in terms of developing his technique and understanding of movement."

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“And then I think the two loans really gave him that self belief that he was good enough. Yes, he was still young but he still had a point to prove."

“I think no one kind of respected him at Chelsea, in terms of the fans. When he did play, was he going to be the top striker for Chelsea? He had Didier Drogba in front of him.

“For him to go on loan and prove to himself, he definitely came back with that self-belief, that courage, and now his performances have been second to none, he’s been quality.”

Lukaku stressed he was disappointed with his involvement at the end of his debut season at Stamford Bridge, revealing that, after his side's UEFA Champions League win in the final on 19 May, he refused to hold the trophy, explaining "it wasn't me, but my team that won".

Lukaku has bagged 64 goals in 95 matches after moving to Italy.

During his spell at United, Jose Mourinho was his manager and the Portuguese commented Lukaku he was “still developing” during his time with the Red Devils.

“These two years at Inter Milan have given him the stature and the self-confidence that he didn’t have before,” Mourinho told The Times.

“At Chelsea, he was still a kid. At Manchester United, he was still developing. At Inter he became the top man.

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“He became loved – a big love from the supporters, love from teammates, great relations with the coach.

“He’s a big guy, physically so strong, but there is also a kid inside who needs that love, needs that support, needs to feel important.”