Well this isn't going to help end the already tired Lukaku "new Drogba" narrative...

Barely out of his teens, Romelu Lukaku has inspired more than his fair share of narratives already. There's the shock-n-awe of his transfer fee (often misquoted at 150%+ of its actual value), there's the bit about Chelsea giving or not giving youth a chance, there's the part where he gets compared with Fernando Torres statistically and mentally, but the most annoying one is the whole "new Drogba" angle. Because, you know, they're both big and strong and not Andy Carroll.

Narratives are easy and easy narratives, especially the type that declare some young player the new old player sell papers. Messi is the new Maradona! Neymar is the new Pele! Bruma is the new Cristiano Ronaldo! Van Ginkel is the new Lampard! It gets worse from there. Eventually, players move out of the shadow of players they may have resembled in style, heritage, ethnicity, race, nationality, or choice of club or country but it takes time and effort to carve out that new media identity.

Here's Romelu Lukaku then, distinctly unhelpful in ending the new Drogba narrative:

"Didier’s a legend. Now it’s up to me to do the same as he did. And I want to achieve that as fast as possible."

"He’s one of my best friends. He had the role of father figure to me when I was at Chelsea with him. After training we would talk for an hour or so."

"We have a good relationship and still talk every day. These days I tell him what I’m doing in training and he tells me if it is wrong or right. And Didier is harder with me now than he has ever been before. He watches a lot of my games and he expects a lot from me."

-Romelu Lukaku; source: The Sun

Well, thanks a lot, Romelu.

That being said, that's some heartwarming stuff right there. Didier's legend grows by the day; hopefully Lukaku will one day stand next to him in the pantheon of Chelsea greats.

In fact:

"Yes, we have a similar style of play but I still see there are a few differences. I don’t think people will see me as another Didier Drogba but as Romelu Lukaku."

-Romelu Lukaku; source: The Sun

Of course, you won't see that as the headline.