ROMELU LUKAKU revealed he knew it was time to leave Manchester United when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer played him on the wing.
The striker was put out wide a number of times under the Norwegian, including against Arsenal in the FA Cup and Liverpool in the Premier League, to accommodate Marcus Rashford through the middle.
Romelu Lukaku knew his time at Manchester United was up when he was played as a winger in numerous gamesCredit: Getty – Contributor
At the time, he made no fuss and said: “Left or right or up front it doesn’t matter to me. Playing for this club is an honour and I just try to do my best in whichever position I play in.
“If it is on the right then I will try to create chances, which I did against Liverpool, and if it is up front then I will try to score goals.
“At the end of the day I just try and help my teammates out and try win matches.”
But for the 6ft 3in, 14st Belgian, it actually proved to be the final straw as his unhappy spell at Old Trafford came to an end in the summer.
He joined Inter Milan for £73million but Solskjaer decided not to sign a direct replacement before the transfer window closed, leaving him with Rashford and Anthony Martial as the only strikers in his squad.
Lukaku told Corriere dello Sport: “It was after the game against West Ham at home, Solskjaer decided to put me on the right wing, very wide.
“Once I learned that Solskjaer planned to put me on the wing, then I knew my time at Manchester United was over.
“The experience in Manchester made me head stronger because not everything went as I had expected.
“I didn’t win what I was hoping for, my performance was not entirely positive and I didn’t even feel 100 per cent wanted.
“Not so much from the technical staff or from my team-mates, but from the people around.
“So after the match against Chelsea, on April 28, the coach called me for a meeting and I told him what I thought and that I wanted to leave.
“He read in my face that I didn’t want to stay any longer and he replied that he didn’t want to hold anyone against it.
“He understood my point of view and assured me that he would do everything possible to satisfy me. He earned my respect and, until I left Manchester, there was no problem with him.
“Even the management helped me. I also spoke with Ed Woodward and Matt Judge and everyone understood why I wanted to leave.
“It was a frank and honest conversation. There was no war, but the decision was shared. This is why the leaders of United and Solskjaer will have my eternal respect.”
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer allowed the Belgian to leave for £73m and decided not to sign a replacement strikerCredit: EPA
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer demands a striker in January as boss admits toothless Man Utd miss Lukaku’s goals after Inter transfer
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
