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Football

13th Sep 2018

Romelu Lukaku says he’ll retire from Belgium at 27

They're not buying it

Darragh Murphy

Romelu Lukaku has been called out for his claim about his international future.

Lukaku has already fired himself to the position of all-time top scorer for Belgium, with 43 goals in 77 appearances for the national team.

But the centre-forward insists that he does not intend to outstay his welcome in the Belgium camp as Lukaku sensationally told media that he hoped to retire from international duty after Euro 2020.

Lukaku maintains that he won’t play beyond the next major international championship, despite the fact that he will be just 27 then.

However, two of Lukaku’s Belgium teammates refuse to accept the Manchester United star’s plans.

“I can hardly imagine that I’m going to have a lot of trouble convincing him to go even further,” said defender Vincent Kompany, according to Metro.

“Young players sometimes say things that they later regret. We all laughed at it.

“When Romme stops, I will pick him up at his home in Manchester and I will take him to Brussels. He does not live too far from me.”

Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois echoed Kompany’s opinion and predicted that the forward would keep playing up to the 2022 World Cup, particularly if Belgium are successful at the next Euros.

“Do I believe him? Not really, but you never know, of course,” Courtois said.

“An attacker like Lukaku works very hard and has little rest. That weighs in time.

“But if we were to win the European Championship, I can not imagine that he will stop. It would be very unfortunate.”

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