PORTLAND, Ore., Sporting Alert — Club icon Ryan Giggs has advised Romelu Lukaku to “develop a thick skin” at Manchester United if he’s going to deal with the expected immense pressure.
Lukaku made a reported £75million move from Everton to Manchester United earlier this month and he’s expected to lead the attack for Jose Mourinho’s side.
The Belgian international scored 25 goals in the Premier League for Everton last season, eight more than the man he will replace, Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Giggs is backing the 24-year-old to be successful at Old Trafford, but warned the former Chelsea man to brace for the imminent pressure.
“He will be under scrutiny that he’s never had before at West Brom, or Chelsea, or Everton,” Giggs told Sky Sports News.
“The pressure will be on you. So he needs to develop a thick skin, he needs to listen to the coaches, because that’s all that counts really.
“And if he misses a chance, the next one that comes along he needs to put it away because, as a centre-forward at United, you’re under scrutiny all the time.
“I think he will score goals, but you need goals from all over the park.”
Manchester United linked with a move for Real Madrid forward Alvaro Morata, but Giggs believes Lukaku, who is a tried and proven striker already in the English Premier League, is the ideal player for Mourinho.
“I’ve seen a bit of Morata. I’ve seen more of Lukaku. The pluses with Lukaku are obviously that he’s played in the Premier League and Jose has worked with him before, and he’s got friends,” the United legend added.
“He’s friends with Paul Pogba, and that makes the transition that bit easier.”
Lukaku played his first game in a Manchester United shirt over the weekend when he played the second 45 minutes of the club’s 5-2 victory over Los Angeles Galaxy on Saturday.
He could start on Monday night when United face Real Salt Lake in another 2017 pre-season fixture at the 20,000-capacity Rio Tinto Stadium.
