Romelu Lukaku isn't just a world-class striker - the man is a very talented person off the field too!
In case you were not aware, the Belgian international speaks not one, not two, not three...well, we'll just get to the point. Lukaku is well-versed in 8 languages!
Which languages does he know?
In Belgium, there are 3 official languages - French, Dutch and German. Lukaku can't speak Dutch but is adept at speaking German.
And according to ESPN, the Belgian grew up in his homeland speaking French at home and Flemish at school.
So that's 3 - and, of course, the striker can speak English very well, having spent a lot of seasons in the Premier League with multiple teams.
Moreover, he can also converse in Spanish and Portuguese, despite never having played in countries where these are the major languages.
The player has a passion for learning the language of the nation he's playing in - for example, after his move to Inter Milan, Lukaku was determined to learn Italian and after just two-and-a-half months, he was able to conduct a full post-match interview in the language!
Here's the interview where he spoke in fluent Italian - you don't have to watch the entire thing, but you get the idea.
The 'secret' language
Back during his time at Everton, it was revealed by former teammate Yannick Bolasie the ‘secret’ language he used with Lukaku to bamboozle Premier League defenders.
Bolasie said that he and Lukaku talk to each other on the pitch using a dialect of Democratic Republic of Congo - Lingala.
“We are both very proud of our heritage,” Bolasie said (via Liverpool Echo). “It really helps when we talk in our language, Lingala, and I know his cousin, who plays with me for DR Congo.
“We speak Lingala on the pitch. There aren’t too many defenders in the league who speak it, so that gives us a little bit of an advantage.
“It’s particularly useful because it’s quick.”
Well, sadly, there isn't anyone in Chelsea with whom Lukaku can speak in Lingala, but this is very impressive from the striker.
Jorginho is impressed by his teammate's language skills
Here's a recent video of Jorginho having some fun with the striker as the two have a conversation:
You can infer Jorginho saying in Italian that he's impressed by how Lukaku can speak Portuguese, French and English.
Well, we take our hats off to the 28-year-old. It's very difficult for most people to learn 3 languages, let alone 8!
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