Since Greaves, i reckon.
This.
Shearer's as a goal scoring at Blackburn (and early Newcastle days) was absoltely sublime, his goalscoring record during that time was ridicilous and I doubt there is many people in the English game who have a better goals to games ratios during a 5-6 year period, ever.
And although you can say Carroll is better in the air due to shear size and power, there's no way he's a better header of the ball than shearer ever was, both attacking it and flicking it on.
Carroll is 22 ffs.
I'm too young to know what Shearer was like at Southampton/Blackburn but I don't see any reason why Carroll won't become as good as Shearer.
Shearer didn't fall off bar stools in local charver establishments for starters.