Jamie Carragher: Liverpool Striker Can Emulate German Hot-Shot

Jamie Carragher has lauded the performance of Liverpool team-mate Andy Carroll in England's victory over Sweden on Friday night and said the striker could hope to emulate Germany's Mario Gomez for club and country.

Carroll capped his first competitive start for the national side by heading England's opening goal in the 3-2 win against Erik Hamren's side in Kiev and Carragher believes the forward has put his troubled start to his Anfield career behind him.

"Carroll, at the end of last season for Liverpool and now for his country, is proving he has the potential to stand in such esteemed company and there is far more to utilising him than simply hitting it high and long," Carragher told the Telegraph.

"At their best, players such as Gómez and Carroll can give the side more options rather than expose limitations.

"Gómez and Carroll may have had contrasting fortunes in domestic football over the last few seasons, but their similarities can be underlined by the fact Liverpool almost signed the Bayern Munich striker before we moved for Carroll.

"The move for Gómez fell through at the last minute - when Hodgson was Liverpool manager - and since then Gómez has not stopped scoring."

Roy Hodgson's side need only a point to qualify for the quarter-finals after the 1-1 draw with France and victory over Sweden. But Carroll is confident England can end their Group D campaign on the front foot.

"We think we can finish the job against Ukraine. We are confident," Carroll told the Daily Mail.

"We showed what we are about against Sweden after going behind and have put ourselves in with a good chance of qualifying. Things are in our hands.

"We will just need a point on Tuesday but we will go there and try and get the win. That's the way we are and approach games."

Nevertheless, Carroll is likely to start from the bench on Tuesday night as Wayne Rooney makes his return from a two-match suspension. But Carragher remains adamant the Liverpool striker has a bright international future ahead.

"As well as Andy played, I suspect he'll be the one to make way," added Carragher.

"The club relationship between Rooney and Danny Welbeck will be hard to resist. I also feel one of the reasons for selecting Carroll against the Swedes was because of the height factor. They're probably the tallest side in the competition.

"It proved to be the right call from Hodgson and he deserves credit for making changes which impacted on the outcome both in his starting line-up and his substitutions.

"Theo Walcott may have proved himself the ultimate impact player rather than starter. Carroll could also return to becoming an ideal second option from the bench.

"Either way, it's exciting to see him show that meanness and quality that made all of us at Anfield so enthusiastic about his signing."