The Portuguese has been criticised for selling the 22-year-old but the striker admits it was he who forced his initial loan move to Everton in 2013

Romelu Lukaku has thanked Jose Mourinho for allowing him to leave Chelsea for Everton in 2013.

Mourinho, who was sacked by Chelsea on Thursday, has been criticised for letting the 22-year-old leave Stamford Bridge on a permanent deal in July 2014, but Lukaku, who has scored 15 goals for Everton this season, admits he forced his loan move to Goodison Park in order to boost his chances of making Belgium’s World Cup squad.

"I wanted to play and get minutes under my belt," Lukaku told BBC Football Focus.

"I never got the chance to say it but I would say thank you to Jose Mourinho.


"I had one conversation with him a few days before I left and I told him I wanted to go and I think he saw in my eyes that I really needed to play because it was the year of the World Cup.

"He was the one who gave me the green light to go."