Southampton coach Russel Martin has expressed his confidence in Paul Onuachu, urging fans to expect a significant impact from the Super Eagles forward as he settles into the squad.
The 30-year-old made his long-awaited Southampton debut in 14 months during the Saints' 3-1 defeat to Arsenal on Sunday.
Onuachu spent the previous season on loan at Trabzonspor and was anticipated to secure a permanent transfer this summer.
However, that move did not come to fruition. Martin indicated that opportunities remain for the towering striker, as he was included on the bench in the match against Bournemouth last week.
In the match against Arsenal, The Nigeria international was substituted on in the 74th minute, replacing Mateus Fernandes. He made a notable impact during his brief appearance, much to the delight of the Southampton faithful.
Martin's confidence in Onuachu: A key asset for Southampton
In the aftermath of the match, Martin was asked whether Onuachu could now be regarded as a ‘serious option.’ He confirmed that the towering forward is poised to play a more significant role in the team's plans moving forward.
“Yeah, definitely. He has to be, otherwise he’s not on the bench. He’s trained so well after a summer of disruption,” he said as per Daily Echo.
“There was will he be here, won’t he be here? It was tough for him to deal with, I think, but then since the window’s shut it’s just a different beast.
“He’s been trained so well, always makes his mark in training physically and has got a really good record wherever he’s been, apart from here in those six months.
“Last year he went out on loan for several different reasons, finance, playing in a top league, us having Che Adams and these guys that we knew what they could do.
“Paul was lesser known to us and this summer was what it was and now he’s here. We have to use him if we think he can help us and I definitely think he can.”
