Romelu Lukaku ready for battle as Manchester United prepare to face Liverpool

Romelu Lukaku is ready to continue as Jose Mourinho’s “sergeant on the pitch” as Manchester United prepare to do battle with rivals Liverpool.

The eyes of the footballing world will be on Old Trafford this Saturday lunchtime as Jurgen Klopp’s swashbuckling third-place side head to their second-place rivals.

Much has been spoken about Liverpool’s potent attack in the build-up, but United boast threats of their own and a front man coming into form as the season reaches a conclusion.

Lukaku took his tally for the season to 23 in Monday’s remarkable 3-2 comeback win at Crystal Palace, but believes he offers far more than goals to Mourinho and the team.

“It’s been really good,” the Belgium striker told Sky Sports when asked about linking up again with his former Chelsea boss in the summer. “But I think he knows that I have like a soldier mentality.

“I think the work rate that I am delivering to the team is a lot.

“I think the manager in his mind thinks that I’m like his sergeant on the pitch – and that’s strange for a striker because normally it’s normally always the midfielders.

“But he knows he can come to me whenever and he knows that I will always put the team first ahead of myself.

“And that’s something that I told him. I said, ‘for me, the team is the most important thing’.

“My desire to win is bigger than ever now since I came to this club, because I always wanted to win, I always wanted to chase trophies.

“I always put that in front of my personal objectives and he knows that, and I think that’s the reason why I’m playing all the time.”