Napoli striker, Romelu Lukaku has said that Antonio Conte pushes him to become a better footballer.
He recently revealed that their relationship can be likened to that enjoyed by NBA legends Phil Jackson and Shaquille O’Neal.
Speaking to the press, the Belgian forward revealed that Conte is a manager he has played under a couple of times, and that has made them form an understanding of each other’s game over the years.
According to him, they are always honest with each other on and off the pitch, plus it never takes long for him to grasp whatever tactics he employs to overcome his opponents.
Lukaku noted that the Italian coach deserves praise for constantly pushing him to be better, and he respects the fact that he is a winner.
“Conte and I are just honest with each other. He has some ideas and plans that I already know about. He doesn’t need to give me explanations and it doesn’t take me long to grasp what he wants from me.
From a tactical point of view, he knows that I’m someone who studies the game a lot. I’ve been watching his games for a long time, more or less since he wanted to sign me back in the 2013-14 season. He pushes me, mentally and physically, to another level and I do everything I can to fully commit to his work,” he said.
Praising Conte for being one of the best coaches around, Lukaku disclosed that he and his manager share the same desire to win every game, therefore, he never needs extra motivation from him to give his best on the pitch at all times.
The ex-MUFC player then appreciated his manager for being a winner, stressing that Conte knows he can ask a lot of him.
“I think we make each other better. He’s one of the best coaches around. He’s a winner. We understand each other, first on a human level and then also on a sporting one. We respect each other and he knows that he can ask a lot of me because that’s how you get results. We both share the same desire to win and we both hate losing. Our differences are complimentary and they balance each other perfectly.
Every player has that one coach that changes their career. Cristiano Ronaldo had [Sir Alex] Ferguson, [Lionel] Messi had [Pep] Guardiola, [Didier] Drogba had [Jose] Mourinho. I like to think that we’re like Phil Jackson and Shaquille O’Neal,” he added.
