Romelu Lukaku has described his joy – and anguish – watching Everton’s 1-0 win over parent club Chelsea last weekend.
The 20-year-old was paraded in front of the Goodison Park faithful ahead of kick off but could only watch on as fellow deadline-day arrivals Gareth Barry and James McCarthy made their debuts.
Lukaku was ultimately delighted at what he saw from his new teammates and taken aback by the atmosphere the stadium created.
But the 20-year-old admits the experience as a whole left him impatient for a proper taste of the action.
He said: “I was like, ‘why am I not on the pitch at this moment?’. It was difficult watching, because every time someone had the ball I was like, ‘I’d do this in that position’ or, ‘I’d do it that way’.
“It was 90 minutes of happiness to see the team play well and win, but also 90 minutes of pain because I wasn’t on the pitch.”
Lukaku’s chance to bury his frustration may arrive at West Ham United on Saturday.
The striker has spent his first week getting to know his new teammates on the training ground and feels ready to make a Boleyn Stadium bow.
Already, the Belgian believes he can excel under the guidance of manager Roberto Martinez and is confident that hard work will lead to a flurry of goals.
“The coaches base the training sessions on technique and the position of the team, and I felt that was an area where I really needed to improve,” he added. “That’s why I came here, because it’s a team that is dominating a lot and Roberto Martinez is a coach who likes possession of the ball.
“I think he’s a manager at this stage in my career who can help me.
“Personally, I just want to help the team finish as high as possible in the league and hopefully arrive in a cup final if possible.
“I’m a striker, so if I keep it simple and score goals, that will be important. I’ll work hard and if I do my best in training everyday then goals will come.”