Martinez in awe of Everton loanee Lukaku
Everton manager Roberto Martinez was full of praise for debutant Romelu Lukaku after he netted the winner against West Ham on Saturday.
The deadline-day loan signing from Chelsea made an eventful first appearance for his new club, coming off the bench to score the decisive goal in the 85th minute - injuring himself in the process, and admitting afterwards that he could not recall his match-winning header.
But he certainly made an impression on Martinez, who saw Leighton Baines fire in two superb free-kicks in the 3-2 victory but saved his warmest praise for the 20-year-old Lukaku.
"Believe me, I have worked with him for three weeks, and I don't see a weakness," he said, in quotes reported by the Liverpool Echo. "It is an exciting feeling to get a player like that in the dressing room.
"I was delighted with the instant impact he had, but not just in his play.
"He's a thinker, a real knowledgeable man.
"He speaks six languages, and is someone who looks at games in a very different way. He's like a manager in the way he looks at games.
"He looks at where the movement is, where the space is, and I have been very surprised at that side of him.
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"And he has that at 20! He will speak about games that he has seen, and different moves. It's not a normal conversation that you would have with a 20-year-old footballer, believe me!"
The Belgium international will now hope to add to his tally against Fulham in the League Cup on Tuesday after passing a medical assessment following his clash of heads with Joey O'Brien at Upton Park.