Do we like them?

Do we like Romelu Lukaku?

Our score: 7 out of 10. Decent record and a good story, marked down because the record is thin on causes and he had a messy 2026 exit from Napoli.

Lukaku grew up in Antwerp with very little. He has said that as a kid he realised the family was “broke”, and the family at times went weeks without electricity. His dad was a former pro whose career had ended, and the young Romelu decided football was the way out.

That drive got him to Anderlecht at 13 and a first-team debut in 2009. From there it was a big-money career across England and Italy, and he became Belgium's all-time record scorer. He has been the same hungry, slightly prickly striker the whole way.

The good stuff is real. He gave a six-figure donation to a Milan hospital during the pandemic, according to reports. He has also been open about his childhood poverty, which gives other kids from tough homes someone to look at.

So it's a yes. A loud footy row with a club isn't the same as hurting anyone, and he has used his platform on the right side of things. Fenerbahçe have reportedly signed him through 2028, so there's more to come.