Romelu Lukaku had a significant influence on Jérémy Doku’s career choice, who is now with Manchester City.
When Jérémy Doku was 15 years old and still playing for Anderlecht, Chelsea and other top clubs showed interest in him. However, Romelu Lukaku, who had also come through Anderlecht’s ranks, reportedly advised Doku against signing with Chelsea.
Lukaku suggested that Doku should stay at Anderlecht to continue his development. Ultimately, Doku followed this advice, spending a few more years at Anderlecht before joining Rennes. This is according to Jean Kindermans, the director of Anderlecht’s academy.
“I remember taking Romelu into my office regarding the issue of young players committing to us – especially Doku. Romelu said, ‘Come on, give me your phone, I’ll call him.’ But I didn’t want to do that because a phone call can be quickly forgotten. So instead, I asked Romelu to convince Jérémy to stay. I still have the video on my phone. You can hear Romelu giving advice to the Doku family, saying ‘Hey guys, stay at Anderlecht for a while, it’s going to be good,’ and so on,” Kindermans recounted to the Sunday Mirror.
