Romelu Lukaku impresses on Manchester United debut as Red Devils thrash LA Galaxy

New Manchester United signing Romelu Lukaku was unable to score a debut goal in the side’s 5-2 friendly win over LA Galaxy on Saturday but the Belgian striker earned high praise for a solid all-round performance.

“He is a team player. He is not selfish and not obsessed with goals,” manager José Mourinho told reporters of a player who moved to Old Trafford from Premier League rivals Everton last week. “He was not worried about himself, he was worried about the improvement of the team. So that’s all good.”

The Portuguese manager added that it was impossible to compare Lukaku, who cost a reported 75 million pounds ($98.27 million) to Wayne Rooney, Manchester United’s all-time leading scorer, who recently returned to boyhood club Everton.

“Comparing Rooney with Lukaku is comparing the incomparable,” Mourinho said, adding that the 24-year-old Belgian serves as a focal point of the team’s attack. The match, played at the intimate 27,000-seat Stubhub Center in Los Angeles, also saw Mourinho hand a debut to Swedish defender Victor Lindelöf, a 35 million euro ($40.13 million) acquisition who came on as a second half substitute.

United wasted little time taking control of the contest, scoring early and often to the delight of a …read more