Newcastle United boss Chris Hughton is keen to play down the hype for four-goal striker Andy Carroll.

Hughton is attempting to keep Carroll's feet on the ground, even though he is the early pace-setter in the Premier League scoring charts.

Hughton told the Evening Chronicle: "I can see why England has been mentioned.

"He's a tall No 9 who is scoring goals, and that's been a valuable commodity for England in recent years.

"I understand the reasons people have been talking about him, but he's still got a lot of development in him.

"This is his first real season in the Premier League.

"Like any striker, he'll go through spells of scoring goals, and barren spells. It's about his performances in those spells."