Newcastle United defender Steven Taylor admits England U21 coach Stuart Pearce has the nation's best youngsters eating out the palm of his hand.

The U21 captain said: "There's nothing better than having someone like Stuart Pearce in the dressing room.

"He's got that aura about him. The lads listen. He might frighten some people when he does talk but he gets so much respect.

"I've seen games in the Premier League where the manager shouts and some players don't listen.

"But when Stuart Pearce is your manager and he shouts, it's amazing how many heads turn.

"He demands so much in every game.

"We set ourselves high standards in training and he knows what the players are capable of.

"If standards do drop, he makes sure he gets his point across. He's never satisfied.

"He's been there and done it. He knows what it's all about. For us learning the game, there's no one better to learn from than someone who has been there and done it. We look up to him."