Alan Shearer praises 'magnificent' Aaron Connolly after his brace sinks Tottenham

Brighton striker Aaron Connolly was a constant menace to Tottenham and scored twice

Connolly scored twice and and delivered a tireless display on his first ever start in the Premier League.

"Connolly was absolutely magnificent and he ran Spurs ragged," said Alan Shearer, speaking on Match of the Day. "It was a complete centre forwards display and Spurs could not cope with him."

The 19-year-old scored his first goal on 32 minutes after a cross from Dan Burn. His initial effort was saved well but he reacted quickest to the rebound and slotted it home. His second came on the hour when he collected Lewis Dunk's through ball, cut inside and fired a low effort into the bottom corner from the edge of the box.

On his second goal, Shearer added, "He can run in behind and go in or out and what an incredible finish it is. His work rate was superb and he has also been called up to Republic of Ireland squad and throughly deserved."

The call-up capped a dream day for the young striker, who was selected for their upcoming Euro 2020 qualifying double-header against Georgia in Tbilisi on 12 October and Switzerland in Geneva three days later.

"I have spoken to Aaron and Derrick and they are looking forward to meeting up with us," Ireland manager Mick McCarthy told the FAI website. "Aaron enjoyed his full debut for Brighton and we have been keeping a close eye on his progress this season."