GRAZIANO Pelle admitted his two-goal salvo in Saints’ record 8-0 win completed the best week of his career – but he still wants the hat-trick.

Having scored the only goal on his international debut for Italy in Malta on Monday, Pelle netted twice in Saints’ romp against Sunderland – and nearly had his first Premier League treble.

Liam Bridcutt netted the second own goal of the afternoon in attempting to clear off the line after Sunderland goalkeeper Vito Mannone had taken the sting out of Pelle’s shot.

The Italian scored a clinical second six minutes later, but smiled: “I will ask for the third goal, the club is going to fight for it.”

Pelle continued: “It’s been an amazing week. Today I didn’t play so well, I made some mistakes. I’m a perfectionist and I always like to do more.

“But to win like that was amazing, it was an amazing performance from the team.”

Pelle cannot recall ever winning by such a margin before. “Maybe when I was young, playing in the square in Lecce, in south Italy,” he smiled.

“This has been the best week of my career. I’ve had great moments in the past but I’m doing this in a higher league, the best competition in the world.

“When I was young I wanted to be like Shearer or Van Basten, someone scoring goals in Serie A or the Premier League.

“Now I’m here I’m happy because doing well shows youngsters you can reach where you want to reach.

“It’s been amazing. I felt the confidence from the good start and my teammates were open to helping me from the beginning.

“But we have to keep going. If we stop now it doesn’t have meaning. People only remember the last few months of the season.”

They will remember the win against Sunderland for a long time to come.

Pelle’s goals both followed excellent work by the outstanding Dusan Tadic, who played in the Dutch League for FC Twente when Saints’ No. 19 was banging in goals for Feyenoord.

“When I was in Holland Tadic was always the player I most wanted on my side,” admits Pelle. “He gives me the right ball at the right time in the right way. It looks easy but it’s not.”

Following the remarkable end to a week that many of the Saints squad began on international duty, Pelle is confident more of his teammates will get the chance to represent their country.

“Bertrand and Jack Cork are doing so well, if they keep playing like that they will get a call as well,” he said. “All my teammates are really good players but also really intelligent players and this is important.

“They do things for a reason, not by luck.”