Romelu Lukaku joined Manchester United at the “right moment”, according to Jose Mourinho.
The Belgium international has made a flying start to his Old Trafford career, scoring six times in his first six appearances in all competitions, and, on Sunday, comes up against former club Everton following his £75million switch from Goodison Park in July.
Having emerged at Anderlecht before spells with Chelsea, West Brom and the Toffees, Mourinho now believes Lukaku is at the perfect club to further his career.
He said: “Especially for a striker it’s important how many goals you score but I don’t put any pressure on a player over that. He is playing well, there is a good relationship between the way our striker and the way the team plays.
“I think he comes [to United] in the right moment, [he is] a good age, a good number of years of experience in different clubs in the Premier League and clearly a player adapted to the Premier League with good friends already in this dressing room.
“[He has made] an easy interaction into our group and the way the team tries to play has a good relationship with his qualities as a player, he came at the right moment in his career.”
While Lukaku joined United from Everton in the close season, another player made the opposite journey with former England captain Wayne Rooney set to make his first appearance back at Old Trafford after rejoining his hometown club.
Rooney claimed five Premier League titles and each of the Champions League, Europa League and FA Cup once in a 13-year stint at United and Mourinho, who described the 31-year-old as a “real legend”, expects him to receive a warm welcome from the home crowd.
He said: “I think he will get the welcome he deserves.
“I think sometimes the word legend in this country comes too easy, that’s not the case with him, he’s a real legend – the number of goals, trophies, he’s clearly one of the most important players in Manchester United’s history and I think the stadium will show him the respect he deserves, I hope before the match and after the match, not during the match.”
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