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Alan Shearer Leaps To The Defence Of Romelu Lukaku

Alan Shearer Leaps To The Defence Of Romelu Lukaku

The Premier League legend disagrees with Thierry Henry's comments about the United striker

Joe Baiamonte

Joe Baiamonte

If anyone knows a thing or three about putting the ball in the back of the net, it's Alan Shearer and the Premier League's all time leading goal scorer has been having his say on one of the players targeting his record of 260 league goals.

Romelu Lukaku has enjoyed a prolific start to his Manchester United career since arriving at Old Trafford from Everton in a £75 million deal, earlier this summer.

The 24-year-old Belgian striker has scored four goals in his opening three competitive games for the Red Devils and appears to have added a new dimension to Jose Mourinho's attack, with United top of the league after two games, beating both West Ham and Swansea City 4-0.

However, not everyone has been impressed with the former Toffees striker, with Thierry Henry voicing some mild criticisms of the Belgium international following United's victory over Swansea on Saturday.


Lukaku
Lukaku

Lukaku already has three Premier League goals to his name, this season. Images: PA

Speaking on Sky Sports, Henry said, "That's [movement] something he needs to bring to his game. We all know what he can do.

"If you want to take it to another level at Man Utd - four goals in three official games is remarkable - it is about getting better. He will work on it, he's with special players and he's with [Jose] Mourinho.

"Mourinho will help him to develop that side of the game. We all know he has the one thing that's most important, when you feed him in the box, he will score."

Shearer, however, was not so concerned with Lukaku's movement and first touch, both of which have come under scrutiny during the 24-year-old's career.

Writing in his column for The Sun , Shearer said, "On Saturday, there was some criticism about his (Lukaku's) movement in the link-up play, yet Mourinho said in the summer he was not interested in all that and he was not that type of player.

"He just wanted a goalscorer operating in and around the box to put the ball away. All this business about strikers dropping deep to link up play is overrated in my opinion anyway.

"In my time at Newcastle, if we were going through a bad spell I found myself dropping deeper to help my teammates.


Romelu
Romelu
Romelu Lukaku
Romelu Lukaku

The Belgian was prolific during his time with Everton. Scoring 71 times in 133 appearances for the Toffees. Images: PA

"But at the same time, this was negating my greatest strength. When we were playing well and I was on the shoulder of the last defender, we were dangerous."

Lukaku currently has 53 Premier League goals to his name over the course of his 110 appearances in the English top flight. Only another 207 to go before he matches Shearer's record.

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: Football, Manchester United, Romelu Lukaku, Alan Shearer, thierry henry