FOOTBALL:Southampton coach Hassenhutl tips Nigerian-born Temitayo for stardom

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Southampton coach Ralph Hassenhutl has extoled the talent of young Anglo-Nigerian striker Nathan Adewale Temitayo Tella.

Formerly on the books of Arsenal, the 21-year-old has been a part of the Southampton set up since 2017 and looks set to be a breakout star with the ambitious club in the near future.

After making his Premier League debut with the Saints in a match against Norwich City at the back end of last season, Tella has added a further three top-flight appearances in 2020-21.

He is also bang in form, having netted four goals in the first half as Southampton’s reserves thrashed their Leicester City counterparts 5-2 in the Premier League 2 last weekend.

“We are very convinced about him,” Hassenhutl said of Tella’s development, as quoted by the Daily Echo.

“We need to think about what the best position is for him and it seems more and more that he seems more confident on the nine than on the 10, so let’s push him there and get the best out of him and we will have a lot of fun with him.”

Born in England but of Nigerian descent, Tella would be eligible to represent the Super Eagles at senior international level.

EAGLE EYE WATCH reports that Tella was not featured against his former club when the Saints played on Wednesday at the Emirates Stadium against Arsenal in a Premier League clash though the match ended a goal apiece.

Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl admits: “We have shown what we have learned in the past and that is to play our game, it was a good performance, not all the time, but we get more and more confident playing in possession.

Southampton have only lost one of their last 11 matches in the Premier League (W7 D3 L1), going unbeaten in each of their last six on the road.