Colwill can be Cardiff's Gazza - Warnock

At 23, Rubin Colwill is the same age as Paul Gasgoigne when he lit up Italia 1990

Rubin Colwill could be Cardiff City's answer to Paul Gascoigne, according to former manager Neil Warnock.

Colwill has been at the heart of the Bluebirds attack that has fired them into an early League One promotion push as well as the EFL Cup quarter-finals.

The attacking midfielder was man of the match in the cup win over Wrexham on Tuesday, having produced more key passes than any other player on the pitch.

The 23-year-old's goals and assists also earned Colwill a recall to the Wales squad earlier this month.

Now that form has even drawn comparisons to Gascoigne from the manager who saw him emerge through the youth ranks at Cardiff City.

"In my era Gascoigne was the player but you had to give him a free role," Warnock told Radio Wales Drive.

"He couldn't do anything in a team situation but he was that good you could do it.

"I think Rubin is in that position for Cardiff.

"He's as good as anything in the Championship if he's given a free role, and he works his socks off as well."

Gascoigne – nicknamed Gazza – is regarded as one of the best playmakers of his generation and one of the best English footballers of all time.

Colwill was not even born when Gazza was at his peak but Warnock believes the Welshman can develop into a key playmaker at the top level.

"He can play right at the very top of the Premier League if he continues like that," Warnock said.

"I remember saying to (Colwill), 'I'd give you a free role and build a team around you' and I think that's what Brian (Cardiff City manager Barry-Murphy) is doing."

Neil Warnock's managerial career spanned 41 years across 16 different clubs

Warnock was Cardiff boss between 2016 and 2019, clinching a record eighth promotion as a manager when he guided the club to the Premier League for the first time in 2018.

That was the last league success at Cardiff, now in League One, but the veteran manager believes Barry-Murphy can clinch the first promotion since he was in charge.

"I've never enjoyed watching a Cardiff team as much since I left," said Warnock.

"Brian is doing a great job, they're like a breath of fresh air.

"They shouldn't have gone down last year with the players that they had, they should never have gone down when I look at it.

"I would have kept Joe Ralls because as the season goes on with all the games it's good to have an old head in there.

"But other than that they've brought in well, they entertain, the fans get behind them and they're only young."