Inter-owned striker Sebastiano Esposito is a big admirer of former teammate Romelu Lukaku and speaks very highly of the influence that the Belgian has had on him in his young career.
Speaking to Belgian news outlet Het Laatste Nieuws, the Belgian gave his thoughts on the 29-year-old, who he played together with at Inter during the 2019-20 season whilst he was breaking into the Nerazzurri’s first team from the youth ranks.
Lukaku is back at Inter after one season away, having enjoyed two very fruitful seasons in a Nerazzurri shirt prior, and Esposito saw what the Belgian is capable of firsthand during his first season at the club.
The young striker, who is now on loan in the Belgian top flight with Anderlecht, didn’t play much during the campaign, but he worked with Lukaku every day in training and feels that the 29-year-old played a big role in his personal and technical development.
“I owe a lot to Romelu, in terms of football, but also in terms of life lessons,” the striker said. “He’s a fantastic striker, but also a great person.”
“He always told me that footballers are judged by their performances on the pitch,” he continued, “Romelu always stressed that you must be respectful to the teammates with whom you work every day in training, and then you’ll get respect back.”
“I see Romelu more as a father figure than like an older brother,” Esposito siad. “He certainly gave me his opinion on Anderlecht and told me not to hesitate, but in the end I made my own decision. At the moment this is the best step forward for my career.”
The striker spoke about how Lukaku is on the pitch, stating that “I think he’s the best teammate possible, we would be very complementary. He knows how to hold the ball up, make space. He has everything.”