<
>

Everton striker Romelu Lukaku wants to 'win titles' and 'play in big games'

Everton striker Romelu Lukaku has issued a warning to Everton and manager Roberto Martinez that he wants to be challenging for trophies and play as a central striker.

Lukaku came in for criticism last season after scoring only 10 Premier League goals after a £28 million permanent move from Chelsea.

But the Belgium international insists he would have scored more goals if he had not been played out wide, and now wants to be challenging for silverware.

"I want to win titles. Not just to be shadowing at the top," he told Sport/Voetbal magazine while back home in Belgium on international duty. "I want to know how it feels to play in big games. I'm 22, it's time to win trophies."

Lukaku rediscovered some of the form which saw him net 17 goals for West Brom in 2012-13 and 15 for Everton in 2013-14 towards the end of the campaign, netting 13 goals in 23 games in all competitions after the turn of the year. And he believes tactics played a huge part in that.

"I won't play on the wing anymore. I am a striker. At one point I went to the coach and I said to him 'with all due respect, when winger I'm hopeless. I will only score goals if you put me up front.'

"That was true. The games that I did not score in, I was on the flank. When I was up front, then I scored.

"The coach is the boss, but when I notice that something is not right then I say straight away.

"Don't I do sufficiently well to be able to open my mouth? I hear what my teammates tell in the dressing room, so I then say it too.

"We then indeed changed tactics and made a strong finish."