This gave me a chuckle this morning. Apparently Lukaku's digestive system was 'malfunctioning' at Utd, due to an excess of potatoes, fried food, and alcohol. Amazingly, eliminating those things from his diet helped him to lose weight! A real puzzler for the nutritionist, that one.
Makes you wonder whether the nutritionist at Utd is a Liverpool fan?
https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/chelsea-news-romelu-lukaku-diet-24788011
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Romelu Lukaku’s £97million transfer to Chelsea from Inter this summer is a club record fee for the Blues and makes the Belgian the most expensive player ever in accumulated transfer fees.
The striker has had his fair share of ups and downs throughout his career and has been at the head of the attack at six different clubs, without ever staying too long at any for a player of his calibre.
The Belgian international has found the best form of his career during his two-year spell at Inter, following a low point at
Manchester United - where he lost his speed and sharpness in attack.
The underwhelming spell at Old Trafford prompted a radical overhaul of his approach away from the pitch and training ground with a change in his diet.
Digestive system ‘malfunctioning’
It swiftly transpired following his switch to Inter that the striker’s extra bulkiness at United was that his digestive system had been 'malfunctioning', as reported by
The Telegraph.
Lukaku explained in an interview with
ESPN : “Normally I have a fine digestive system.
“I digest everything very quickly. That’s how it had been my entire life
“But what the nutritionist said to me was, it had stopped working.”
Change in diet
The corrections made to the digestive system were fundamental changes in diet.
He eliminated potatoes, fried food and alcohol in a bid to trim down his figure and is reported to have lost half a stone in weight in just 12 days.
This change revolutionised his physique and subsequently his performance on the pitch.
Lukaku previously explained: “Since I joined Inter I have changed my diet and I can say that I have never felt so strong.
“My diet consists of salads for lunch, a lot of chicken breast, Shirataki pasta.
“I don't change my way of eating much, for how we play we must have a very strong physique, we run a lot: since I have followed this lifestyle I feel better on the pitch, I feel more reactive and faster.
“I love carbohydrates and I love potatoes, sweet potatoes and black rice, but I don't eat a lot of pasta.
“I've always been an explosive player with muscles but Italy took me to another level. I have never felt so strong. I have reached another level, physically and mentally.
“I consume a lot of carbohydrates after games. Most of the time I eat two packs of gnocchi, it depends on what the chef has prepared. They go into circulation quickly and they help me a lot.
“Since I was here at Inter we have done an analysis of my physique and a lot has changed. I also take vitamins."
Misunderstanding
Something that has underpinned Lukaku’s career is that his physique and physical attributes have led to misconceptions about how to best utilise the Belgian.
He has often been described as a ‘target man’ but his true strengths, as he self-describes, is when he is ‘facing the goal’ and running at defenders.
Lukaku has previously explained on the Lightharted Podcast:
“A lot of people try to make me the player that I’m not. Because of my size, they think that I’m like the traditional big guy, who posts up all the defenders, holds the ball and then plays it and brings in other players. Well, I’m not that type of dude.
“I’m a scorer, 100 per cent. I need to face the goal. That’s when I’m dangerous. That’s why, when I play for Belgium, I’m so much more dangerous because I’m in a situation where I face the goal at all times. At all times.”
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