Mueez Ajao
– Lukaku can emulate Drogba – Cole
– Romelu Lukaku can emulate Didier Drogba by firing Chelsea to Premier League and Champions League glory, according to former Stamford Bridge favourite Joe Cole.
– The Belgian has made a superb start to life back in west London following his £98 million transfer from Inter.
– Lukaku has scored three goals in three appearances so far, including two in Saturday’s win over Aston Villa, and on Tuesday night will make his first Champions League appearance for the Blues as they take on Zenit St Petersburg.
– Cole, speaking exclusively to Goal in his role as one of BT Sport’s lead Champions League pundits, compared Lukaku’s Chelsea role to that of Drogba, one of the club’s greatest ever strikers.
– “For sure, they are similar,” he said. “It’s not just what he brings on the pitch, either. I think Lukaku has learned a lot from Didier in terms of his presence off the pitch. By all accounts he is a bit of a leader in the dressing room and that’s Didier.
– “Didier was a born leader, a real man’s man. Everyone loved him. We talk about [John] Terry and [Frank] Lampard being leaders in that dressing room, but Drogba was every bit as much a leader as them.
– “Lukaku is of that ilk. He’s got a little way to go before he can be put in that bracket, for me, but he’s certainly got the ability to get there.
– “And he’s got a great mindset, a bit of fire in his belly because he wants to prove himself at Chelsea the second time around.”
