ROMELU LUKAKU is hoping to make Everton goalscoring history at Middlesbrough this afternoon, with his manager likening him to legendary Dutch striker Marco van Basten.

Lukaku’s four goals against Bournemouth last weekend took him to 59 Premier League goals in an Everton shirt, one behind former Blues striker Duncan Ferguson.

Today’s trip to the Riverside provides him with an opportunity to at least move alongside the Scotsman, and his manager, Ronald Koeman, fully expects him to go down as an all-time Premier League great.

Koeman played alongside van Basten in the great Dutch team of the late 1980s and early 1990s, and regards Lukaku’s finishing prowess as on a par with that of his former team-mate.

When asked whether Lukaku could be compared to van Basten, he said: “Yes. He’s one of the best, even comparing him to the players in my time.

“He is world class in his finishing. He is that good, but he needs to improve in a total picture of a player – but that part of him is world class. We know if we give him the chances, normally he will score the goals.”

Lukaku has scored in his last two outings against Boro, so the Belgian will head into today’s game confident of at least moving alongside Ferguson on Everton’s all-time rankings.

Ferguson, who also spent time in the North-East with Newcastle United, is now employed as Everton’s first-team development coach, and will be in the Riverside dug-outs this afternoon. For all that he takes pride in his own achievements as a Toffee, he would love to see Lukaku remove his name from the record books.

“The quicker he does it, the better,” said Ferguson. “Rom is a goal machine, and hopefully he scores a couple of hundred for us in the next ten years.

“We are working with him every day, but we are just there to facilitate him, massage him. He is top drawer. He can finish off his right and his left. He maybe needs to improve his heading, but he is one of the best I have seen.”

With no new injury problems to contend with, Koeman’s main selection dilemma ahead of today’s game revolves around the make-up of his midfield.

Ross Barkley has been back to his very best in recent weeks, and looks a guaranteed starter, but Koeman has been chopping and changing between Gareth Barry, Morgan Schneiderlin, Tom Davies and James McCarthy in recent weeks. To complicate things further, Idrissa Gueye is also available after returning from the Africa Cup of Nations.

“That’s the competition we have,” said Koeman. “With that competition, we have the details that we need (against) every opponent.

“We can change, and we don’t drop quality. And in detail, all the midfield players are different. It’s difficult sometimes because you get people disappointed and frustrated, but it’s business and the most important thing is to get the results.”