Dele Alli insists he is remaining grounded despite some "hair-raising" praise from idols and a dream season with Tottenham.
The Spurs midfielder, 19, has been on superb form since making his debut at the start of the season following a move from MK Dons last January.
He has seven goals in the Premier League as Spurs sit in second place, scored on his full England debut, and is one of the favourites for the PFA Young Player of the Year award in his debut top-flight campaign.
The praise has flooded in from all angles - Sir Alex Ferguson compared Alli to a young Paul Gascoigne, while Steven Gerrard said the 19-year-old is better than he was at that age - but to his credit, Alli is realistic and won't get carried away.
In an exclusive interview with Sky Sports' Geoff Shreeves, Alli said: "It's a hard one to take in [Ferguson's praise], for one of the greatest managers ever to compliment you like that, it means a lot and it's a huge honour.
"But I don't want to get carried away with things like that, it's important I keep working hard and don't think too much about those things."
On Gerrard, Alli added: "It makes your hair stand up, you can't really believe it. He's someone I've looked up to massively since growing up, he was a great player and a legend. He was my idol and for him to say something like that means a lot to me.
"It has been crazy, it's been crazy for me obviously. I've always been quite confident in my ability and I knew where I wanted to go.
"Maybe I didn't expect it to go this well so quickly but I always had the feeling I'd keep working hard and try to be the best player I can.
"It's a bit of a dream come true, it's one of those ones where I'm still waiting to be woken up, but like I say anything can happen. you could go out there and, god forbid, get an injury on the pitch or in training."
Alli shows no sign of waking up from his dream any time soon, and with Euro 2016 approaching, even bigger and better things could be on the horizon.
He has started two of the last three England games and looks a good bet to start in France, but his main priority is keeping his feet on the ground.
"I'm still 19 and I've got a lot to learn, I've got to keep improving and not get too carried away with myself. Thankfully I've got great support around me to keep my feet on the floor.
"It's been a great year for me, but I've just got to keep working hard and hopefully next year will be even better.
"It's important you stay professional and keep working and I'm thankful for everything that's happened to me.
"I'd love to go [to Euro 2016], it would be a dream come true but I don't think my place is concrete. There's a lot of young, hungry players there. It has the same feeling as at Spurs."
Alli looks the ideal all-round midfielder to boost England's hopes of success in France this summer, but his balance of self-confidence and realistic ambition to improve is refreshing.
His temper has come into question on occasions this season after an altercation with West Ham's Mark Noble in November and a similar incident with Fiorentina's Nenad Tomovic in February.
When asked what he could work on to continue his success, Alli said: "A lot of people would say my temper! But I don't think that's something I need to work on.
"It's not something I worry about, I can control my temper! It's something I've always had since I was younger growing up. I've done a lot to work on it to keep it under control when I need to, and the boys here help me as well.
"Defensively I could be a lot better, my decision-making at times can be a bit poor "and my left foot technically I need to improve as well.
"I still have a lot to work on, nothing in my game is perfect and I'm just going to keep looking to improve.
"When you're a young player coming into the Premier League, it can be daunting. But it's important to stand your ground and let them know you're not just a 19-year-old kid and you deserve to be there with them."
But is the youngster's rise solely down to his own work? Alli is keen to stress the importance of his team-mates, and in particular says his 'big brother' relationship with Spurs midfielder Eric Dier has been priceless.
"We [Alli and Dier] have got one of those friendships where I think he'll be a friend for life. I haven't known him for that long but he's sort of taken up that role as my big brother here.
"It's strange to say but he does look after me as much as he can, even though I do bully him a little bit!
"He tries to keep my feet on the ground, but he'll always back me in anything on and off the pitch. I always go to him for advice and he's very mature for his age, you can always turn to him and put a lot of trust in him.
"Harry is a world-class striker. If you put it through to him nine times out of 10 he'll find the back of the net, or at least make the keeper work.
"He's got great movement, when he's on the training pitch you see what he's working on and you know what kind of runs he likes to make, and his finishing is the best I've ever seen."
Tottenham host Manchester United on Super Sunday at 4pm on Sky Sports 1HD.