Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuettl said midfielder Nathan Tella was the “biggest talent” at the south-coast club after he scored one goal and made another in Saturday’s 3-1 home win over Fulham in the Premier League.
Tella notched his first senior goal when he scored within two minutes of coming off the bench in the second half to double Southampton’s lead.
The 21-year-old, who suffered a serious knee injury when a teenager, also set up Theo Walcott with a pass for their third goal as Southampton moved up to 13th in the standings on 43 points, with two games left.
“He’s the biggest talent we have at the moment,” Hasenhuettl told BBC Sport. “He had a bad injury and when I see him performing like he does at the moment, I enjoy watching it.
“It’s a special moment for a young striker. He’s got a smile on his face always and this is what I really liked from him because he enjoys working for the team, he enjoys playing with us.”
Tella said it was an “overwhelming feeling” to bring up his first senior goal.
“I’m just so happy, it’s a dream for me,” he said. “It’s something I’ve wanted to do my whole life.”