My friend said to me the other day that Mario Balotelli reminded him of a mixture of Eric Cantona's swagger and Cristiano Ronaldo's power and skill. He went as far as to air the point on the social networking site Twitter.
If I were on Twitter too (and I'm not), I would have used my 140 characters to offer a one-word response. Nonsense.
Balotelli is like a volcano waiting to erupt, a bubbling cauldron of trouble with a giant risk of letting you down.
In the stampede to salute his dazzling performance for Italy against Germany, we are forgetting that 83 days ago he was sent off for Manchester City at Arsenal and betrayed his team-mates with an outrageous act of petulance.
If Manchester United had gone about their business in their normal professional manner, that would have been the single most significant moment that cost Manchester City the title.
Instead, he is a champion - thanks mainly to the efforts of his team-mates while he was suspended - and now he may be a European champion, too.
Net gains: Balotelli scored a brace in the 2-1 semi-final victory over GermanyHe is playing his part and his goals against Germany took his country through to the final, but it was the maturity and selflessness of his performance that stood out, chasing back after the ball and supporting his team.
It is the first time I can remember him operating as a team player, rather than as an individual with that 'Why always me?' rubbish.
I'm told that after the England game he was having a mandatory drugs test and was boasting that he would leave his mark on the tournament, get to the final and score.
Centre of attention: The Manchester City striker is certainly becoming box officeI admire his confidence, but can we really say with any conviction that he will get safely through tomorrow's game without committing an act of stupidity that will cost his team? I wouldn't be surprised if he gets sent off.
Look, he can be an incredible talent. He is lucky to have managers at club level, Roberto Mancini, and at international level, Cesare Prandelli, who want to protect him and tolerate him.
People will say that I don't like mavericks, but I loved playing with Paul Gascoigne, whose mischief often came with a smile. With Balotelli, he wants to do everything with a snarl, like he is seething and looking for the next fight.
Box office: But does Balotelli have the temperament to be a truly world-class player?Great players love their time on the training field. Ask the Manchester United players about Cantona's obsession with improving and Sir Alex Ferguson told me that Ronaldo would spend hours on the training ground mastering his art.
Balotelli, by comparison, seems to want a row every day. If he uses the maturity of his performance against Germany - and it's a big if - as the launchpad for his season and the rest of his career, he is an incredible talent.
Mancini talked about him being a world star and I disagreed strongly at the time. I'm still not convinced, although he is having a good tournament. Now all eyes are on him for the final tomorrow and he needs to keep his emotions in check and continue to play his football.
Spain will be wary of him and, if Italy can retain possession, he will get chances. He could end up topping the bill, if he can keep his temper and frustration under control. If not, who knows what will happen?
He's certainly becoming box office. But I hope he doesn't waste his talent. I wish him well. Excuse me if I'm not ready yet to put him in the same bracket as Cantona, Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. I will delay my judgment on that, if you don't mind.
Let's see how long he can go without pressing the self-destruct button.
