Romelu Lukaku has faulted claims in certain quarters that former Chelsea boss, Jose Mourinho forced him out of the club.
Speaking to the Daily Express before Saturday’s English Premier League game against Newcastle, the 22-year-old said that, contrary to widely-held beliefs about the circumstances surrounding his Chelsea ouster, it was he and not Mourinho that made the decision for him to quit Stamford Bridge.
He said: “Choices have been made by me. By me. Not by them.”
Recall that the 52-year-old Portuguese tactician had been fingered as responsible for Lukaku’s move to Everton, which first began with a 2013/2014 season loan that was made permanent in the following season.
Lukaku has gone on to do great things in Everton, scoring in his last seven EPL games, while Mourinhi has been sacked at Chelsea, but the forward apparently felt duty-bound to clear the air.
The Belgium international added: “Everyone says it is Mourinho’s fault, but it is not his fault because I made the decision. I went to his office to ask if I could go.
“He was the first one to say, ‘Good luck.’ When I signed the deal [at Everton] at 11 o’clock, I got a text message on my old BlackBerry saying ‘Good luck, do your best and I will see you next season.’ He was the first, nobody knows that and that is why for me he gets immense respect.”