Leon Best has thanked George Burley for sending him on loan earlier this season.

Saints' weekend hero at Norwich has also praised the manager for giving him the confidence to come back and succeed at St Mary's.

Best's time at Saints seemed to have run its course earlier this season.

He was well down the pecking order and not even close to the first team.

Prior to the Wolves game in late March, Best's only start in the league under Burley had been against Brighton in January 2006 when he was taken off at half-time.

Burley sent him out on loan to Cherries at the start of the season and again to Yeovil Town in November.

Best hit top goalscoring form - 10 goals in 14 starts plus one as a sub - to help the Somerset club towards the League One play-offs.

Since he returned to Saints, he has got himself back in the first team mix, scored in the 6-0 romp over Wolves and topped it off with the only goal as Saints defeated Norwich.

Best has no doubts what the loan spells have done for his career.

He said: "It's given me confidence and experience of playing and scoring.

"You get used to scoring and you want to score all the time.

"Then your confidence comes as well and you can try and do other things you didn't do before.

"I think I've got stronger and quicker and working with the team all the time is helping me gel.

"Going out on loan, if you go to the right club, is the best thing you can do.

"As a young player you might get pushed out of the team with experience and age, but if you go out on loan and prove yourself you can get yourself back in."

Like the rest of his colleagues, Best is now focussing on the club's final game of the regular Championship season against Southend.

A potential massive prize - £55m - is waiting at the end of the play-off rainbow should Saints finish in the top six.

"Scoring a match winning goal is a good feeling but being in the play-offs sounds even better," said Best.

"It was hard work keeping the win once we had the goal.

"Anyone could have gone out and scored and everybody would have been putting in 110 per cent for the win to put us in the right position for the next game.

"George has got a good set of strikers, all of whom could play with anyone and they'd get goals for him.

"Everyone's going to put in 200 per cent and work right and never give up.

"We will fight to the end. I can't wait, I'm looking forward to it."