Alan Shearer has likened Andy Carroll to his former Newcastle United teammate Duncan Ferguson.
Shearer, who partnered Ferguson at Newcastle, reckons he bears an uncanny resemblance to the former Scotland star.
He said: "He reminds me a hell of a lot of Big Dunc, Duncan Ferguson, and in a good way, not a bad one.
"Defenders hate playing against him because he's horrible to go up against. For a kid who's so young, that's a statement.
"Give the ball to him in the box and he will score goals. He's not just good at heading it. Andy can be the talisman of the England team if he continues.
"It's all right us past players speaking in glowing terms about him - and it's hard not to because of the season he's having - but we mustn't put too much pressure on him. We've got to let him develop.
"He will get better. He's made mistakes already off the pitch and that happens when you're a kid. As long as he learns from them and curbs that, then the future can be what he wants it to be.
"Sometimes it's difficult for these kids. They grow up with nothing, come in and suddenly sign a contract that makes them a millionaire. Nobody teaches you how to handle that situation.
"He's a single guy who has come into a lot of money and it's inevitable he's going to make mistakes.
"What happened to me was that I moved away at 15, down to Southampton, so it was a different scenario. It was different for me. I was earning £25 a week at 16 and £250 at 18, slightly less than him."
