Manchester United striker Romelu Lukaku says he believes he deserves “more respect” for his goalscoring record this season.

The Belgian striker notched his 21st goal of the season in all competitions for the Red Devils at the weekend, scoring against his former club Chelsea in a 2-1 win over Antonio Conte’s side.

The former Chelsea, West Brom and Everton star – who joined United in a £75 million deal in the summer – is still unable to escape his critics however despite his impressive goal tally this season.

And while he insists he pays little attention to criticism, Lukaku says he feels like he deserves more respect from the Manchester United fans for his achievements.

“I just need to keep working hard,” said the 24-year-old, who has now scored 98 goals in the Premier League. “I think I have got a nice record. I’ve scored a lot this season and I just want to keep going.

“I know that I can improve, and I want to improve and really work hard. I want to win trophies. We are still in the fight in two competitions. It’s not going to be easy but it’s a nice challenge.”

He continued: “I started playing when I was 16. Year in, year out people expect 20 goals from me. I’ve been doing it for 10 years straight, so I think I’ve proved myself.

“You expect a bit more respect but it’s the situation we’re in. I don’t listen to it. I just want to improve and show the people what I can do on the pitch.”

Despite his cry for more respect however, Lukaku says his individual records, while nice, matter little so long as he is helping his team to their ultimate goal – winning silverware.

“As long as I win, and I lead my team to winning that’s when I will be really satisfied,” he said.

“As a football player, I don’t play for the individual. I think a lot of big players that we recognise today in the game are players who have won something, and I want to be part of them.

“The road is still far ahead, but I’m ambitious and I’ll work every day for my team to win – I’m not thinking about myself.”