Romelu Lukaku has been crowned Serie A player of the season award for 2020-21 ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo.
The Belgium striker was instrumental in the Nerazzurri’s title success last term, as he scored 24 goals in 36 appearances for Antonio Conte’s championship-winning side.
He was not the league’s leading scorer, with Cristiano Ronaldo taking that honour with Juventus, however, his contribution to the title race saw him take the top spot.
‘Being ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo is something that doesn’t happen every day. To me, he is one of the best three players in football history. He also brought me to a different level because he does great things.
‘I am really happy to be included in the Serie A top XI for last season. I want to thank all those who voted for me and the team that helped me a lot, the coach and his staff. It was the team’s achievement and it’s an honour to be in the top XI.
‘It was my dream as a kid to play in Serie A and I did all I could to achieve it. I am satisfied to have done it.
‘It’s an honour to have been named best player of the season. It’s something that I could not achieve without the help of the team.
‘They helped me realise great things. We won together improving a lot. Everyone developed and the coach was always close to us. This award gives me a lot of confidence for the future.’
The trophy comes just months after Lukaku sat down with Sky Italia to give an interview in which he detailed his love for Inter fans, while also expressing a desire to return back to the club.
Lukaku has scored 12 times across 34 appearances and has been selected in Thomas Tuchel’s starting line-up on just 12 occasions in the Premier League this term.
