Romelu Lukaku said he has a "special relationship" with Didier Drogba and that his Ivorian hero has been giving him vital advice as he tries to become as deadly a striker as Chelsea's Champions League winner.
Everton forward Lukaku is the second highest scorer in the Premier League, behind Leicester's Jamie Vardy, and struck for the 11th time in a productive season in Monday's 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace.
The Belgian was nicknamed the "baby Drogba" upon his emergence, but while he is open in his admiration for the 37-year-old, a former Chelsea teammate, he is eager to shed that nickname.
"Of course," he said. "He is my idol and he knows it, but I am Romelu Lukaku and I am proud of my family name and I want to make my own story.
"I respect Didier a lot but I think there are still differences in our style of play and I am a young player, I want to play at a high level and help my teammates out and hopefully at the end of my career I can say I did my best to create a name for myself."
Drogba is a sounding board for Lukaku, who scored his 50th Everton goal against Palace and who has struck 27 times in all competitions in 2015.
"I still speak to Drogba," he added. "He gives me tips all the time. Me and him we have a really special relationship since day one. When I arrived at Chelsea they put me next to him in the dressing room so that is when it started and I saw what a top professional he was -- not just him but John Terry, Frank Lampard, Nicolas Anelka, Fernando Torres.
"As an 18-year-old I was watching what they were doing and soaking it up and it was a good year of preparation. At the time I was frustrated because I was 17 and playing a lot in Belgium and I had a great reputation but looking back I think it helped me to be the player I am today."
Drogba joined MLS side Montreal Impact in the summer, but he and Lukaku have stayed in touch and the 22-year-old identified the most important thing he has learned from the older striker.
"The determination to win," Lukaku said. "He was a leader. When the team needed him the most he always delivered so that is what I aim for and hopefully one day I can say I was that type of player. I text him, I phone him whenever I need him.
"I texted him last week when he was going back to Canada, but whenever I need him I just call him and say: 'I did this today, this is going through my mind, how should I do this?'
"He knows what to say and what not to say and that's what I like about him."