Lukaku says he is really happy at Everton

As the Sky Sports cameras focused on Everton today at USM Finch Farm, Adam Leventhal and Jamie Carragher spoke to star striker Romelu Lukaku about a variety of topics, including his future and how he sees this season playing out.

There’s a bit of a kerfuffle on Twitter right now over former Liverpool player Carragher’s choice of kit, with many fans forgetting that he was a boyhood Blue.

On the topic of his work ethic -

"I'm working harder, I run more. I think that's been first of all, I got more consistency and the manager wanted me to do more on the pitch as well.

"I think for me it's been good, a nice journey and I'm learning a lot. I feel much better in my skin the way we're playing now and I want to keep on improving like the rest of the team has to do."

Lukaku’s 17th goal of the season over the weekend tied him on top of Everton’s Premier League top scorers list with Duncan Ferguson, who works with the Belgian striker every day as the club’s first team coach.

"We have a good relationship, really good. It was hard at the start because he's [Ferguson] always on me, every single day but at the start I was really learning how to play as an old fashioned big man, and it took time.

"It took a year but I think last year I just got it and now he just gives me a few bits and pieces here and there and keeping me on my toes and I like it."

Here’s Lukaku talking about his chances of winning the Golden Boot for the Premier League’s top scorer.

The forward’s high-profile agent Mino Raiola said yesterday that a new contract was virtually certain and that the player would be staying with the club.

"My agent has been doing the talks and I think you can see from what I do on the pitch that I am really happy here.

"For me, I have to keep on going as well as I can. If you look at the best players in the world they are constantly improving.

"I don't want to peak too early, I want to keep getting better year after year."

Earlier in the morning, manager Ronald Koeman had also acknowledged that it would be difficult for Everton to hold on to the player as he continued to rise to stratospheric heights.

"The best we can do as Everton is show to everybody that we are growing as a club which will fight to win titles because every player, every manager has ambitions in football, I think that's normal.

"If you don't have ambition, stop playing football and stop life because you need ambitions to get the best out of yourself.

"As Everton, we need to show all the players that we are growing and we will finally win titles but I understand players wanting to play in the Champions League, it's a normal ambition and we will see what will happen with Romelu and other players."

Here’s what Carragher thought about Lukaku staying at Everton, comparing him to players like Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale who left the Premier League at their prime as well.

"It will be difficult. I mean it was difficult for United to keep hold of Ronaldo when he was the best player in the Premier League. It was difficult for Liverpool to keep Luis Suarez.

"That's the problem if your player becomes that elite level, every player in the world wants to play for Barcelona or Real Madrid, they just do. They're the two iconic clubs world class players want to play for.

"I know Ronald Koeman mentioned a few months ago, and it didn't go down too well with Evertonians and maybe he shouldn't have been so honest, that if Lukaku does get to that level, it's just a fact of life that not just Everton but Liverpool and Manchester United too, will lose top players.

"That's the nature of the game."