Belgium coach Roberto Martinez discussed the comments made by Inter striker Romelu Lukaku two years ago, where he suggested that he would leave the Belgian national team after the 2018 World Cup in Russia, in an interview with Belgian media outlet La Dernière Heure earlier today.
“His words have been interpreted in a certain way. I think he mainly wanted to send a positive signal. What he wanted to say is that all that matters is the next tournament.”
Lukaku has made 84 appearances for Belgium since his debut in 2010. The 27-year-old has scored 52 goals in that time, providing 13 assists in the process. He has been a focal point for the Red Devils since the 2014 World Cup.
The 27-year-old scored four goals in Russia in 2018 as Belgium achieved a third-place finish, losing to France in the semi-finals. A summer later Lukaku moved to Inter from Manchester United, and has quickly impressed under the guidance of coach Antonio Conte. The former Manchester United striker has made 35 appearances across all competitions so far this season for the Nerazzurri, for a total of 2904 minutes. In that time, he has scored 23 goals and provided five assists.
