James Ward-Prowse picked out the contribution of on-loan Chelsea forward Armando Broja towards Southampton’s draw with Crystal Palace last night.
Speaking to the club website, the Saints skipper sung the praises of the young attacker following another goal for Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side.
Both players were on target yesterday at Selhurst Park to earn the away team a well-needed point on the road.
Palace went behind after two minutes, but Ward-Prowse levelled proceedings half-an-hour later thanks to a trademark free-kick.
In a flash, the guests were put in front by a long, low drive from Broja that nestled into the bottom corner.
Praise from Ward-Prowse
That is now six goals in eight starts across all competitions for the Albanian international this season, as he continues to prove a fine capture from Chelsea’s grasp.
“I think he had a bit of a slow start but week by week he’s gradually grown I think as a person. He’s very confident around the place which is great,” said Prowse about his junior teammate.
“He’s a young guy. We’ve got a few really young lads playing together tonight which is great to see and he led the line well.
“He’s a good physical presence, he can run in behind, hold the ball up, he’s got great technical ability and took his goal really well.”
The stage is Broja’s
It did take Broja a while to get the wheels spinning a Southampton shirt following his switch from Chelsea over the summer.
He did not start a league game until matchday eight.
Coincidently, the 20-year-old scored and earned Hasenhuttl his first top-flight win of the campaign on that first full outing.
Yet, he has only completed 90+ minutes twice since swapping Stamford Bridge for the south coast.
A repeated ankle injury is the crux of this issue, as the manager attempts to avoid losing his key striker for a sustained period of time.
This is entirely understandable, considering Southampton are currently in a relegation rat race.
Broja will need to be fit and firing for the entirety of the term to give his employers extra breathing room come May time.
Receive a digest of our best Chelsea content each week direct to your mailbox
