Last week, Romelu Lukaku somewhat shocked the footballing world by revealing he was planning on retiring from international football after the 2020 Euros.
Despite being rather young himself, the 25-year-old explained he would leave his spot open for the next generation following tournament, after which he’ll be 27.
One man who doesn’t believe this ‘for one second’, however, is Kevin Mirallas, who recently left Everton to go to Fiorentina on a loan that will be made permanent when the Serie A side trigger their €7m obligation to buy.
Speaking to DH over the weekend, the forward said: “Romelu is a competitor. He’s always said he wants to win a trophy with the Devils (the Belgian national team). If it happens at the 2020 Euros, he’ll want more and will start thinking about the double with the 2022 World Cup.
“That’s how Romelu is. Now, if he really does take his international football retirement at 27, it’s because he’ll have his reasons. Maybe he’s thinking about the next generation that’s not as good, but who will have to take the reins after the Euros. We’ll see”.
Already Belgium’s top scorer at 25, winning a trophy with his country is a realistic ambition for the Manchester United man, especially since Roberto Martinez’s side came so close to a World Cup final in Russia, losing to the eventual winners France in the semi-final.
Returning from his holidays ahead of schedule to help out a frustrated José Mourinho, Lukaku picked up his first goal on Sunday during the Red Devils’ 3-2 loss to Brighton.
