Romelu Lukaku scored his 47th and 48th goals for Belgium last week but still one of the most popular clips of the game against ­Scotland was of an ­embarrassing miss.

Kevin de Bruyne serves up a sitter and Lukaku tries to back-heel home, only to somehow play it against his standing foot.

One YouTube video describes it as “the most Romelu Lukaku miss ever”.

In fact, search for ‘Lukaku’ and ‘miss’ and you will be presented with a seemingly endless menu of choices.

He has made some howlers. But so has every top-class striker out there.

Lukaku is becoming defined as a footballer by what he cannot do, not what he can do.

Lukaku receives instructions from Solskjaer (
Image:
Getty Images)

What he can do is score international goals at a rate of more than one every two matches of game time.

What he can do is score Premier League goals at a rate of more than one every two matches of game time.

What he can do is score Champions League goals at a rate of more than one every two matches of game time.

Not spectacular compared to some, but those are still good numbers.

His ­career top-flight goals have come at a rate of one for every 169 minutes he was on the pitch and his ­Champions League goals at one for every 178 minutes.

Bear in mind, he had limited game time with Chelsea, and relatively ­limited chances at West Brom and ­Everton.

Lukaku is being linked with a move to Inter Milan (
Image:
AFP/Getty Images)

Since moving to Manchester United, he has not had outstanding service either, but scored 16 and 12 Premier League goals in his first two seasons.

He started 33 Premier League games in his first campaign as a United player, 22 in his second.

Lukaku, 26, might not have set United alight, but he has acquitted himself well over the past two years.

But now it seems they might be his only two years.

Here’s how it works when players go away on international duty. The press officers of national associations mainly like players to talk only about matters related to the national team.

Otherwise their club press officers can get a bit shirty.

And I doubt Manchester United’s media department will have been too pleased when Lukaku engaged in ­conversation about his United future after the facile win over the Scots.

Lukaku scored 12 Premier League goals last season (
Image:
AFP/Getty Images)

“I’ll speak with my club and my agent Federico Pastorello to make the best decision,” he said. “I know what I’ll do but won’t say it. We’ll see. Do I expect a busy summer? Yes.

“I’ve had a difficult season at club level. I lost my place and haven’t played much. But that is a phase in my career and it will help me for the next step.”

Pastorello is also the agent of new Inter Milan boss ­Antonio Conte – a long-standing admirer of Lukaku.

It all points to the Old Trafford exit.

If he wants out, can this United team really afford to let such a goalscorer leave without putting up a fight?

A lot of social media reaction ­suggested yes. But Lukaku, mainly because he can look cumbersome at times, has always been a soft target online.

Solskjaer doesn't appear worried about letting Lukaku go (
Image:
Getty)

Yet only one player scored more ­league goals for United last season and that was Paul Pogba, who played for ­almost 10 hours longer.

Maybe Ed Woodward and Ole ­Gunnar Solskjaer have a world-class striker or two up their sleeves.

Maybe they know Marcus Rashford will definitely score more.

But when I spoke with Rashford ­recently, he said the past three ­seasons have been about developing his all-round game and that might have come at the expense of goals.

Looks that way. One top-flight goal every 249 minutes. His rate of assists only a fraction better than Lukaku’s.

If the Belgian desperately wants to go elsewhere, he should be allowed to, for the right price.

But United had better ignore the social media noise and realise he is one of rather few players they simply must try very hard to keep.