Romelu Lukaku has admitted he got goose bumps on Monday while making his debut for Inter at San Siro.
The Belgian striker scored the Nerazzurri’s third goal in a 4-0 win over Lecce, helping Antonio Conte’s side get their league campaign off to the perfect start.
Lukaku thanked Inter’s supporters for their incredible welcome after 64,000 people flocked to the Giuseppe Meazza.
“Everything was very special,” Lukaku told Inter TV.
“I’m always ready and prepare well. For the goal, I knew where the ball would end up. It was a fantastic moment, my whole family was at the stadium. I also knew we would win, also because we’ve been training really well.
“I’ve missed playing in such a warm environment, with flags and a full stadium before kick-off. It was special and I was really excited, the history of the club really was perceptible.
“I thought of all the great players who have played in that stadium, while the crowd got behind us during every piece of play.
“There’s the feeling that something big is emerging this season, but now we have to continue working hard because the road ahead is still a long one. However, the start we’ve made has been fantastic.”
Lukaku has always dreamed of playing in Serie A but it has been a very long journey for him on the way to joining Inter.
“When I was 17 or 18, I told myself I wouldn’t look back anymore,” he said, looking back on a difficult childhood.
“The past is the past. Obviously, you never forget where you’ve come from.
“I’m thinking about the present and the future because I don’t want my family to go through what I did. I want them to have a good life without, however, forgetting important values and principles in life.
“I’m really fortunate to be here and will always keep my feet on the ground. I will continue to work hard every day in order to provide my family with great opportunities, but also to help my teammates to win games.
“I like it here, as does the whole of my family. With me, it’s very easy: I go to training and return to my loved ones at home.”
Lukaku has only been an Inter player for a matter of weeks, but he has had a soft spot for the Nerazzurri for a very long time.
“The first final I saw on TV was Inter 3-0 Lazio at the Parc des Princes,” he revealed.
“This is one of the reasons why I’ve always followed Italian football. I’ll never forget Ronaldo’s goal and the skills he showed in that game. What a spectacle! And then I also adored Adriano with his great stature and left foot.”
Inter boast one of Europe’s strongest defences this season following the arrival of Diego Godin from Atletico Madrid.
Lukaku is often praised for his imposing physical stature but he assured it was not easy for him to face his new teammates in training.
“Each of them has important characteristics,” he added.
“Skriniar marks you tightly, De Vrij’s positioning is excellent and Godin reads the play very well. Ranocchia and D’Ambrosio are tough guys but so is Bastoni. He might be young, but he’s made an impression on me and builds the play well with his left foot.
“They are all fantastic and it’s very useful to come up against them in training. I want to play against the best because this is how you can prepare for matches.”
Lukaku also had his say on Inter’s Champions League draw, which saw them sorted into a tough group alongside Barcelona, Borussia Dortmund and Slavia Prague.
He concluded: “There’s only one way to go about this group, and that’s prepare for every match in the best possible way.
“After the international break, we’re hoping that everyone returns in good shape and without any injuries.
“We’re taking it one game at a time, starting from this weekend’s match against Cagliari.”
