MARK Hughes has hailed Benni McCarthy as the best striker to play for Blackburn Rovers since Alan Shearer following a remarkable debut season in the Premier League.

The South African ace has been sensational for Rovers since he arrived from Porto for a bargain £2.5 million last summer, scoring 22 goals in all competitions That is the best individual haul by a Blackburn striker in a Premiership campaign since Shearer bagged 31 in his final season with the club 11 years ago.

And after several expensive imitations have since tried and failed to fill Shearer's boots at Ewood, Hughes believes the club has now finally found a worthy successor in McCarthy, who is proving to be one of the most astute signings of the season.

Speaking ahead of tonight's showdown with Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane, the Blackburn boss said: "Benni's got a total of goals here that hasn't been surpassed at this club since Alan Shearer.

"That shows how long Blackburn Rovers have been looking for a quality striker like Benni, who is able to score on a regular basis.

"We're delighted that he's here and we fully expect him to be here for a lot longer yet.

"He's embraced everything we have asked of him because he was desperate to play in the Premiership and he's really flourished.

"We waited patiently to sign him and we are very grateful we got him here.

"He's been exceptional and next year I believe he'll be even better as he'll have the benefit of a season under his belt.

"He'll know what to expect and he'll hit the ground running."

Precious few foreign strikers arrive in the Premier League and hit that magical 20-goal mark in their first season in English football, but McCarthy joined an exclusive club, which also includes the likes of Ruud Van Nistelrooy and Jurgen Klinsmann, when he scored in a recent 3-1 victory over Watford.

That feat has also been matched by Tottenham's Dimitar Berbatov, who has made a similar impact at White Hart Lane since he joined the club from Bayer Leverkusen in a £10.5 million deal last summer.

Now the Bulgarian, who also has 22 in all competitions, is suddenly being hailed as the best signing of the season in certain sections of the media, and some have even put him in the £30 million bracket.

However, speak to Hughes and he will argue that, pound for pound, McCarthy has actually proved better value for money, claiming his value to Blackburn is priceless.

"I knew of Berbatov before he went to Spurs and he's had a great season, although not as good as Benni's," said the Rovers boss.

"Benni didn't cost anything like as much and Berbatov hasn't scored as many (Premiership) goals.

"If you look at the list of Premiership goalscorers, Benni's third and Berbatov was something like 15th (before Monday night).

"They say Berbatov is worth £30 million so how much does that make Benni worth?"

Regardless of who you could consider to be the best, there's no doubt McCarthy and Berbatov have both made major impacts during their debut seasons in the Premier League, which is no mean feat.

As Hughes discovered for himself when he left Manchester United to sign for Barcelona in 1986, strikers find it particularly difficult to be an instant success in a foreign country, where the style of football may be totally alien to anything they have previously encountered.

But McCarthy's insatiable desire to succeed has enabled him to settle in quickly, on and off the field, in his debut season at Blackburn.

"Benni has come in and he's really mixed with the group, he's very gregarious, he always has a smile on his face, and he appreciates the work others do," said Hughes.

"He has a manner about him that he's a big star and a big player. He understands that and enjoys being one of the main men here."

If Rovers are to win at White Hart Lane tonight and keep alive their hopes of qualifying for Europe automatically then McCarthy and his strike-partner Jason Roberts could well hold the key.

The pair have shared eight goals between them in the last five games, prompting McCarthy to compare their partnership to that of Dwight Yorke and Andy Cole, when the two strikers were in their pomp at Manchester United.

And Hughes is certainly pleased with the way his two frontmen have clicked since they were reunited together three weeks ago.

He added: "You don't have to get on with your team-mates because they're not your best friends. "But if it works on the pitch that's the main thing, and it's a bonus if they like each other off the pitch as well, which is the case with Jay and Benni.

"It's a better situation than them not liking each other."