Garth Crooks names Everton 23-year-old in TOTW, hints at exit

By Danny Wright

Garth Crooks has named Everton’s Romelu Lukaku in his team of the week

The 23-year-old scored four goals against Bournemouth on Saturday in a memorable 6-3 win at Goodison Park.

The Belgian striker scored two goals in each half to become the first player to bag four goals in one game in the Premier League this season.

Crooks claimed that it was obvious Lukaku was in for a good game after his first goal which he struck in the opening minute of the game.

“It's pretty impressive when a striker scores a hat-trick but it's something entirely different when he scores four goals in a top-class fixture,” Crooks told the BBC Sport website.

“I must say when I saw the way Lukaku buried his first past a stranded Artur Boruc, I thought 'he fancies it today.'

“Everton have had some wonderful strikers over the years: Joe Royle, Andy Gray, Graeme Sharp and now Lukaku, it would appear, is about to join that band of iconic names.”

However, Crooks hinted that he believes Lukaku might have to leave Goodison Park in order to win major silverware, something the club have been without for over two decades.

With Everton’s last FA Cup win in 1995, and them being nowhere near to winning a maiden Premier League title any time soon, Crooks believes that Lukaku has to win trophies to be considered as one of the greats.

“Scoring goals is the most difficult thing to do in football but winning trophies is what characterises careers and that must be the next item on the striker's agenda.”

Despite his age, Lukaku has already become one of the Premier League’s most reliable goal scorers. Since joining Chelsea from Anderlecht in 2011, he has scored 76 goals in 172 games during his spells at Stamford Bridge, West Bromwich Albion and current club Everton.

His hat-trick on Saturday was his third in the Premier League, his others coming at Sunderland earlier this season and against Manchester United whilst on loan at West Brom in 2013.

In other Everton news, this youngster is jostling with these big guns for major prize.

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