Alan Shearer has claimed that he can see why Sean Longstaff is being compared to Michael Carrick.
Shearer, speaking to the Evening Chronicle, believes that Sean has a similar passing range to Carrick and that if he can stay fit, he could become a fantastic player.
The comparisons between Carrick and Sean emerged last season. There are certainly some similarities between the two.
The former Manchester United man could often dictate the tempo of games and moved around the pitch with grace.
Sean burst onto the scene last year and looked like a Premier League player from the start.
Forming a superb partnership with Isaac Hayden, Sean got better and better with each game.
A cruel injury in a 2-0 defeat to West Ham ended his season, and so far, this year, he has struggled to hit those heights from last season.
On Sunday, though, Sean turned in a performance that must have left Carrick impressed from the opposition dugout.
Sean snapped into tackles and produced some sublime passes he and his brother dominated the midfield battle, and Sean must build on this to assert himself as a quality Premier League midfielder.
Certainly, he has all the attributes to become an England regular, and I hope he does fulfil that potential and become the next Michael Carrick.