Inter Milan move the ‘energy boost’ I needed, says Romelu Lukaku
Romelu Lukaku has said his move from Manchester United to Inter Milan was the "energy boost" he needed in his career.
The Belgian striker moved to the Serie A side for £70 million (S$117.7m) last month after two seasons at Old Trafford, during which he said he felt like he was made a scapegoat- alongside Alexis Sanchez and Paul Pogba - for the Red Devils' struggles.
After scoring in his first two matches for Inter, the 26-year-old told Sky Italia: "I just knew I came here to play for a big, big team.
"Where the expectations are really, really high and... the club are going in the right direction.
"So, it was the right step for me. (At) 26, I wanted to discover something else playing in a league that I love, for me it was the right move.
"I said to (teammate Kwadwo) Asamoah, I really made the right move, this is the energy, the boost of energy that I needed."
The comments came shortly after his Belgium boss Roberto Martinez, who also coached Lukaku at Everton, said the striker was "bored" at United.
Martinez told the Daily Mail that Lukaku was underappreciated in England, despite scoring a combined 146 goals for three English Premier League clubs.
Said the Spaniard: "Romelu hasn't been appreciated for most of the time he's been in the British game.
"And the reason is very clear.
"Everyone analyses what he hasn't got as a No. 9. Everyone wants to tell him the first touch should be better, that he should be stronger in the air, that he needs to make more room.
"But what they miss is his outstanding trade as a goalscorer. Look at his stats. He is one of the most significant scorers at his age."
Meanwhile, Lukaku's new Inter teammate Sanchez suggested he did not succeed at Old Trafford because of his lack of game time.
He said: "If they let me play a full game, I would win it. But sometimes I'd have 60 minutes and not play the next game, and I didn't know why."
The 30-year-old Chilean, who is on loan at Inter, scored just five goals in 45 appearances for United. He played the full 90 minutes on only 13 occasions.
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