Of course, he did not score in the dramatic round-of-16 victory over Japan and could have added to his tally on a couple of occasions. No doubt those quick to criticise United’s top scorer last term would have been ready to pass judgment had Roberto Martinez’s side not stormed back to avoid an almighty upset.

Instead, he showed centre-forward intelligence of the highest level when it mattered most, during the final attack of a pulsating tie. An initial run created space down the right flank for the marauding Thomas Meunier and, when the full-back delivered a cross, the moment arrived for Lukaku.

When you bag an injury-time winner to send your country to the #WorldCup quarter-finals 💥@NChadli 🇧🇪👏



🎥 Highlights 👉 https://t.co/LOdKDX2Cwn

📺 TV listings 👉 https://t.co/xliHcxWvEO pic.twitter.com/tzvoWhVbp7 — FIFA World Cup 🏆 (@FIFAWorldCup) 2 July 2018

This was his time, the chance to stick another knife into those claims that he is a ‘flat-track bully’, who doesn’t score in the biggest matches. This was the last minute of a game at the World Cup knockout stage, when the stakes could barely be higher. Think of the Golden Boot, think of the glory, the adulation and forgetting any earlier opportunities.



What Lukaku did next, in those circumstances, was extraordinary. Realising Japan captain Makoto Hasebe was in close proximity, and possibly able to block the shot, he stood over the ball to pull off a dummy and render Hasebe helpless. It would be the 34-year-old Eintracht Frankfurt man’s final act in international football as he could only look on in horror as Nacer Chadli was left with a simple finish.