AITOR KARANKA claims Middlesbrough midfielder Adam Forshaw will want to prove a point when he lines up against Everton in today’s tea-time kick-off on Merseyside.

Forshaw joined Everton’s youth set-up at the age of seven, and was regarded as one of the Toffees’ brightest academy prospects when he made his first-team debut in December 2009 in a Europa League game against BATE Borisov.

He was a regular for the reserves the following season, scoring a memorable goal at Anfield, and looked destined for an extremely bright future when he made his Premier League debut in a comfortable Everton win over Wolves in April 2011.

Crowned Everton’s second-team Player of the Year the following season, he spent three months on loan at Brentford. It was supposed to be a stepping stone in his career, but instead it proved the beginning of the end at Goodison as he was released at the end of the 2011-12 campaign.

He signed a permanent deal with Brentford shortly after, and finally got another taste of the top-flight when he came off the Boro bench in the 1-1 draw with Stoke on the opening day of the season.

He has played in all of the Teessiders’ Premier League games since, and is set to retain his place at the base of midfield this evening even though £12m summer signing Marten de Roon is available after recovering from injury.

As a proud Liverpudlian, there is bound to be a tinge of regret that he was unable to make it in the city of his birth, and while he hardly lacks for motivation anyway, there will be even more reason to impress when he returns to Merseyside later today.

“It’s an important game for him because I know his past,” said Karanka, who shelled out £2m to sign Forshaw from Wigan in January 2015. “I’m pleased for him – he’s enjoying it and he deserves it.

“He’s the kind of player who’s learning every day, so you don’t need to teach him. He learns and he wants to play, he’s the kind of player who’s always looking to improve.

“Other players want to improve by asking you or watching videos, but he’s learning because he’s intelligent. He’s been learning the way we play ever since he came here, and now he’s playing perfect so I’m pleased for him.”

Forshaw has had to be patient for his chance in a Boro shirt, with Karanka having relied on Adam Clayton and Grant Leadbitter for the majority of the last two seasons.

De Roon’s summer arrival was expected to push him even further down the pecking order, but he has seized his opportunity since replacing the Dutchman in the first half of the draw with Stoke.

He performed creditably against the Potters, and was Boro’s best player in their goalless draw with West Brom. He faces a considerable challenge against Everton, with Ross Barkley and Kevin Mirallas battling for the ‘number ten’ role in Ronald Koeman’s side, but Karanka does not expect the 24-year-old to be fazed by the standard of the opposition.

“I can understand it (Forshaw’s performance level) has been a surprise for a lot of people, but not for me,” said the Boro boss. “We had a meeting after getting promotion in May, and I said I wanted to have him in the squad.

“As a player, everyone can see how good he is, and as a lad he’s the kind of player who I was always a bit disappointed last season because I couldn’t give him that opportunity.”

Forshaw has partnered Clayton in the last three games, and while Leadbitter will hope to return once he completes his recovery from a hernia operation, Karanka clearly rates his current defensive-midfield partnership highly.

Clayton was one of Boro’s leading performers last season, and his manager was always convinced he would take the step up to the top-flight in his stride.

“I remember seeing Adam (Clayton) in my first season here,” said Karanka. “We played against Huddersfield, and after five minutes I said, ‘I want him for the following season’. He has been key for the last two seasons for us.

“Now, we have more competition, but he has improved a lot. When he makes a mistake he wants to fix that mistake as soon as possible, and that is important.”