The Belgian forward is not known for having the best of techniques, something Zlatan could not help but poke fun at.

Romelu Lukaku was constantly trolled during his time at Man United, especially the latter stages of his Old Trafford spell. The forward, once one of the Premier League’s most-feared strikers during his Everton days, went on to endure a torrid time with the Red Devils.

One aspect of his game which was the punchline of several jokes is his first touch. He was heavily criticized for his poor technique, something which former team-mate Zlatan Ibrahimovic touched upon in a recent interview.

The Swedish icon shared a dressing room with the Belgian at Man United prior to his LA Galaxy switch and he got to assess the former Everton man up-close. The 38-year-old admitted that technical ability isn’t Lukaku’s forte in a hilarious anecdote about Romelu’s first touch.

“I will say this on Romelu: don’t expect good technique from Lukaku, but his best strength is sheer power. If only he’d listened to me,” Zlatan told La Gazzetta dello Sport (as per Football Italia).

“At Manchester United, we made a bet: ‘I’ll give you £50 for every decent first touch you make.’ He replied: ‘What do I win if I get them all right?’

“I told him nothing, he would simply become a better player. For the record, he never accepted the bet! Perhaps he was afraid of losing…”

However, Zlatan did praise the 26-year-old, hailing his hunger. Ibrahimovic added: “Joking aside, Lukaku has this mad hunger to prove himself to the world and I’m sure he will do well at Inter too.”

The Belgian has since left the Premier League, leaving the Theatre of Dreams for Inter Milan. He has begun life at San Siro well, scoring three goals so far in Serie A, with Conte’s side trailing Juventus by only a single point.