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WHAT HAPPENED?
Lukaku has had a successful start to life at Napoli after joining the Serie A side on a permanent deal from Chelsea in the summer. However, the striker has suffered a few tough years. His form also affected him while representing Belgium in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, as the Red Devils were eventually eliminated in the group stages.
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Getty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE
Lukaku revealed that his mental health was in tatters after the traumatic tournament in Qatar when he was heavily criticised by supporters and pundits. He also admitted that he avoided the sport as much as possible in the following weeks, while former Belgium assistant coach and Arsenal icon Thierry Henry offered him encouragement.
WHAT LUKAKU SAID
Speaking on the Friends of Sport podcast, Lukaku said: “I wanted to be there for my country because the coach and the team needed me. It was the first time in 29 years that football touched me. I never thought about depression, but I cried every day for weeks. Even on holiday. Thierry Henry called me three times a day. My mother and my children were in Milan, but I had no energy. I needed to be alone for a while.”
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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR LUKAKU?
Lukaku was not called up to the Belgian squad by Domenico Tedesco this month but is determined to make his way back into the national team as he revealed: “I hope to be able to rediscover the passion of playing for Belgium, that the fire burns me again for the Red Devils.
“The next goal is the World Cup in two years and now it still seems very far away. I really want to return to the national team with good feelings and take on a leadership role. But you can’t expect me to be happy if we don’t win. That’s the only thing this group lacks: the youngsters have already come a long way but, in terms of a winning mentality, they can do much better. That’s what I can teach them.”
