Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah could follow in the footsteps of England captain Harry Kane and Alan Shearer, according to England Under-21 manager Aidy Boothroyd.
Nketiah equalled the record for England U21's all-time leading goalscorer last week, notching his 13th goal during the 3-3 draw with Andorra during a European Championship qualifier.
The Arsenal striker is now level with Shearer and former Gunners forward Francis Jeffers on the list, and Boothroyd believes the 21-year-old could go on to enjoy a hugely successful career for club and country.
"There are always comparisons with top players over generations,” said Boothroyd.
"If you look at Alan and the career he had and Harry Kane and the career he is having - where Eddie is concerned, if he can get to the point where, like those two players, he's in on goal and you just know he is going to score, that's when you make the step from young player to senior player.
"He's not quite there yet but he's not far off.
"The fact he's in the company of those players that I've mentioned shows how much I think of him and how much we think of him in the system.
"He is destined for some big things. He has an aura of responsibility and leadership about him. He is a natural. He is very professional as well.
"If you were going to put someone up there as 'this is what you want young England players to look like', then it would be him."
For Arsenal, Nketiah has emerged from the youth academy to cement his place in Mikel Arteta's first team plans.
The striker spent the first half of last season on loan at Leeds United, but a lack of regular minutes saw him return to Arsenal where he impressed Arteta sufficiently to be retained in the squad instead of another loan move.
Nketiah could become the all-time leading scorer when England U21 take on Turkey on Tuesday night.
A victory for Boothroyd's side would see the young Lions qualify for the Uefa Under-21 Championship with two games to spare.
