Romelu Lukaku snubs Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Robert Lewandowski as he names ex-Real Madrid star as his idol and looks to LeBron James for inspiration

Lukaku might have turned 32, but he has no plans of slowing down. In fact, he wants to emulate legendary former Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema, who experienced some of his best years after turning 30, even winning the Ballon d'Or just before he turned 35 in 2022. 

Lukaku became one of the cornerstones of Antonio Conte's project at Napoli, helping his team win the Scudetto in his debut campaign by scoring 14 goals in Serie A. After several underwhelming seasons, where he never stayed at one club for too long amid harsh criticism from large sections of the media, the Belgian international seems to have found a new lease of life at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium. 

Speaking in an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport, Lukaku said: "Of course, we have the tools to always do better. I have a gym at my house. Messi, Ronaldo, [Robert] Lewandowski, and [Zlatan Ibrahimovic] are great, but my role model is Benzema, who won the Ballon d'Or after turning 32. You have to look forward with the right mentality. LeBron James says so too." 

The former Chelsea and Manchester United striker will be aiming to build on his performances in the 2024-25 season by helping the Partenopei defend their Serie A crown. Napoli will begin their title defence against Sassuolo on August 23.