How the Super Cup changed the future of Romelu Lukaku, Manchester United and Chelsea forever

It is hardly the most prestigious of competitions, but the Super Cup appeared to mean a lot to Romelu Lukaku as he prepared to take a decisive penalty in Prague four years ago. Looking back at that moment now, at a player who has since become associated with power, composure and a persuasive air of confidence, it is striking to see just how vulnerable he looked.

After nine perfect kicks, with Chelsea 5-4 behind to Bayern Munich in the shoot-out, it was up to the 20-year-old, part of Jose Mourinho's first-team plans after an outstanding season at West Bromwich Albion, to score and force sudden death. His miss, a tame low poke of a penalty too close to Manuel Neuer’s body, only forced sudden death of a very different kind.

Just four days later, Lukaku was sent on loan to Everton. Less than year on from the defeat, Mourinho sanctioned the striker's permanent move to Goodison Park. The penalty was his last and most significant action in a Chelsea shirt, ending his short Stamford Bridge career. £12.75m, 15 appearances, no goals.

A few months later, Lukaku claimed Mourinho had not spoken to him since the Super Cup defeat. In response, Mourinho’s lip curled. “Romelu is a young boy who likes to speak,” he said. “The only thing he didn’t say is why he went to Everton on loan. That’s the only thing he never says.

“My last contact with him was to tell him exactly that. Why do you never say why you are not here? It’s something he should say, the reason why he’s not with Chelsea and is in Everton.

“That’s what I’m telling him now: ‘Tell the country why you left,’” he sneered. “When you enjoy to speak, speak everything. Don’t speak only half of it. Speak everything. It’s a simple question: ‘Why did you leave Chelsea?’ Ask him.”

The truth was that Lukaku was so affected by his penalty miss, he felt as though he needed time away from Chelsea. The admission did not come as a surprise to the club. There had been a sense behind the scenes at Stamford Bridge that the youngster was putting too much pressure on himself to succeed. Despite coming in what remains little more than a glorified pre-season friendly, the decisive miss hurt him.

In retrospect, it also changed so much. Had he scored, he would have remained on course to become Chelsea’s first-choice frontman. Mourinho intended to promote him up the ranks, not only because of a lack of options up front for Chelsea that season, but because he knew Lukaku could become the striker he is today. If the Belgian had only learned to manage the pressure on his young shoulders back in 2013, he would still be leading Chelsea’s line now. Diego Costa and Alvaro Morata would be somewhere other than west London, while Mourinho may even be still in the Stamford Bridge dugout.

Instead, four years later, Lukaku and Mourinho return to the Super Cup with Manchester United and the club's accounts are £75m lighter. It is quite a remarkable turnaround for a player and coach whose relationship, from the outside, once seemed severely damaged. To a manager like Mourinho, Lukaku’s departure would have been a sign of weakness, perhaps even a critical character flaw. Those remarks back in 2013, said with more than a hint of cruelty, suggest as much.

Something, evidently, has changed. Something shown by Lukaku during his three-year spell at Everton, and not just the 87 goals scored, persuaded his former manager that the self-doubt has disappeared. Lukaku's play now possesses the aforementioned power, composure and air of confidence. He is a different player from the timid 20-year-old who stood over the penalty in Prague.

The meeting with Real Madrid in Skopje on Tuesday will be Lukaku's first match under Mourinho since that night. This time, he will be confident he can repay his manager's regained faith.