Newcastle United boss Alan Pardew is gutted over the career of former West Ham United striker Dean Ashton.

Pardew rates Ashton ahead of his Toon stars Demba Ba and Papiss Cisse.

"He came back injured after he went off to play for England at the start of the 2006 season. It absolutely killed us. He was flying. He was going to be England centre-forward for the next 10 years. I've not seen a player as good as him. He was better than Andy Carroll," Pardew told the London Evening Standard.