Crystal Palace boss Roy Hodgson admits he sees similarities between the journeys of Norwich City star Teemu Pukki and former England international Rickie Lambert.
Palace will come up against Pukki at Selhurst Park this afternoon (Saturday), with the Norwich striker a man in form with six goals to his name already in the Premier League this season.
This is the 29-year-old's first season in the English top flight, after spending most of his career to date in other countries across Europe, including Spain, Germany, Scotland and Denmark, as well as his home country.
But he has taken the Premier League by storm, scoring against Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City, in addition to a hat-trick against Newcastle United last month.
And Hodgson has been full of praise for the way the striker has adapted to the top flight, after netting 30 goals in the Canaries' promotion-winning campaign last season.
"I probably don't know enough about his career moves after HJK, I haven't studied that side of things, but having watched him play last season in the Championship and doing so well and obviously without studying him as an individual, just watching him play for Norwich which I did on many occasions and this year because he is an opponent for us," the former Finland boss said.
"I think a lot must be attributed to his character and determination and the fact he has worked at a club and with players around him who appreciate his skill and are able to play to those skills.
"I think he has a very good game understanding and the movement required and timing of the movement, so that is a very important aspect of his game.
"Of course he has that lovely ability all managers dream of that when he does get in there after good movement and game understanding, the last two seasons in particular, he has taken those chances.
"What happened in between the 16 or 17-year-old I saw starting a career and then the man I saw last year reappear at Norwich City scoring lots of goals, I really don't know what happened. You would have to ask him yourself."
And Hodgson said Pukki's rise to the top flight is akin to that of former Southampton and Liverpool striker Rickie Lambert, who earned a call-up to the England national team during Hodgson's time in charge of the Three Lions, having starred for the Saints on their rise to the Premier League before making the move to the Reds.
"Rickie Lambert was a good example, he came on the radar at Southampton doing the type of things Teemu is doing at Norwich and got into our England team and scored some important goals, so he is probably the closest I could come to off the top of my head," Hodgson said.
"If I really sat down and studied it, I could probably give you other names, but that is as close as I could get."
