Rom’s mission to help mum out of poverty

ROMELU Lukaku believes he is the ‘strongest dude you’re ever going to meet’ after giving his family a better life by making it as a professional footballer.

The 25-year-old has established himself as one of the world’s most feared strikers at United.

And Lukaku has come further than most. Following his father’s retirement as a footballer, his family struggled to the point where Lukaku’s mother, Adolphine, was mixing water with milk to make it last longer and borrowing bread from the local bakery.

Recalling his memories of growing up in Antwerp, Lukaku also remembers going up to three weeks without electricity.

“I knew we were struggling. But when she was mixing in water with the milk, I realised it was over, you know what I mean? This was our life,” he said.

“I didn’t say a word. I didn’t want her to stress. I just ate my lunch. But I swear to God, I made a promise to myself that day.

“It was like somebody snapped their fingers and woke me up. I knew exactly what I had to do. I couldn’t see my mother living like that.

“People in football love to talk about mental strength. Well, I’m the strongest dude you’re ever going to meet.

“Because I remember sitting in the dark with my brother and my mom knowing it’s going to happen.

“Some days I’d come home from school and find my mum crying. So I told her, ‘Mum, it’s gonna change. I’m going to play football for Anderlecht, and it’s going to happen soon.’”