Looking for Soccer News?
Jaidi hails Southampton's Tella on Premier League debut
The 20-year-old Anglo-Nigerian made his Saints senior bow in the victory at Carrow Road on Friday
Former Southampton Under-23 manager Radhi Jaidi has taken to social media to congratulate academy product Nathan Tella, who made his Premier League debut in the 3-0 win at Norwich City on Friday.
The Anglo-Nigerian winger started from the bench and came on for Danny Ings in the 88th minute.
In the two minutes he spent on the pitch, the 20-year-old had three touches on the ball and won two of his three total duels.
The game at Carrow Road was the first to mark Matchday 30 Premier League fixtures, the first full round of games since the league was suspended in mid-March because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Danny Ings got the ball rolling four minutes into the second half with the assist from Stuart Armstrong.
Ings then returned the favour for Armstrong to score in the 54th minute before Nathan Redmond wrapped it up 11 minutes before full-time with Nigerian turned Irish forward Michael Obafemi providing the assist.
Friday's victory sent Southampton 10 points clear of the relegation zone with eight matches left to play.
"Great win Southampton and congratulations for another Premier League debut and academy product Nathan Tella, very proud of you," Jaidi posted on Twitter.
Tella has been on the books of Southampton as a youth player since 2017 when he joined from Arsenal.
He was coached by Jaidi who headed the Saints' Under-23 squad between 2017 and 2019, leading them to promotion to Division 1 of the Premier League 2 for the 2019-20 season.
Tella has played 39 times for the Southampton Under-23, scoring seven goals and providing five assists.
His contract with the south coast club expires at the end of June, but it's yet to be seen if he will be given an extension after he impressed coach Ralph Hasenhuttl in a pre-match friendly with Bristol City, where one of his efforts from outside the box hit the inside of the post.
Jaidi is now in charge of Hartford Athletic in the United States and was previously a player with Southampton, featuring 66 times between 2009 and 2012, when he hung up his boots.
The 44-year-old was an Africa Cup of Nations winner with Tunisia on home soil in 2004.
