Chris Ashton is not rugby union's answer to Mario Balotelli, nor Luis Suarez, according to Sir Clive Woodward, but instead Joey Barton.
Ashton's 13-week ban for biting Northampton prop Alex Waller prompted Will Greenwood and Drew Mitchell to compare the Saracens wing to two of football's more infamous names on Wednesday.
However, writing in his Daily Mail column on Thursday, Woodward suggested there are more similarities between the 29-year-old and controversial Rangers midfielder Barton.
"I remember having a long chat with Joey Barton once. Like Chris Ashton, who I have spoken to on a number of occasions, he can be a charming and interesting guy off the pitch and, like Ashton, I rate him as a player," he wrote.
"At one stage I asked Barton what would happen if, when he left me and walked out into the street, some yobbos out there started shouting at him and abusing him. His answer was that he would cross the road and confront them. Never back down and all that.
"Totally wrong. He is Joey Barton and rival fans are always going to hurl verbal abuse at him. They just are. That comes with the territory."
He added: "It's difficult and you have to work hard to counter your instincts but, when these flare-ups happen, Ashton must somehow take himself back into that calm cocoon he enters when he is scoring tries for fun."
In the immediate aftermath of Ashton's ban, former England centre Greenwood questioned why he is repeatedly caught in "daft situations", adding "he's Mario Balotelli -- someone give him a T-shirt, 'Why Always Me?'".
That led Mitchell to tweet:
Sorry @WillGreenwood, @ChrisAshton1 is not the Mario Balotelli of Rugby...
— Drew Mitchell (@drew_mitchell) September 21, 2016
He is the Luis Suarez!
There are just NO excuses 👎🏼
Woodward, though, believes Ashton can still have a future in Test rugby, if he is able to keep his emotions in check.
"I really hope that Eddie Jones hasn't given up on Ashton because, just like Danny Cipriani, I see a big English rugby talent right in the middle of what should be the best seasons of his career," the Rugby World Cup-winning coach continued.
"It's too soon to give up on Ashton but he must address this huge issue in his make-up right now."