ECSTATIC Ibrahima Diallo is aiming for Carabao Cup glory with Saints – and is looking to add to his family’s trophy cabinet!
The French midfielder opened his goal account during Saints’ 2-2 third-round cup tie at Sheffield United on Tuesday, before going on to net a penalty in a 4-2 shootout win for Ralph Hasenhuttl’s men.
Diallo’s goal, a header glanced in from Oriol Romeu’s cross on 23 minutes, was his first in senior football, having spent time playing in France with Brest and in the academy at Monaco.
Ibrahima’s elder brother Abdou, who now plays for Paris Saint Germain, has already won two French Ligue 1 titles, as well as a pair of French Cups, Super Cups and a League Cup across the Channel.
And the Saints midfielder, who dedicated his inaugural goal to his family, insisted he would like to grab some silverware to get himself off the mark.
Asked whether he would like to add the Carabao Cup to go with his brother’s trophies, the 22-year-old said: “I hope, I hope, but I am late!
“Because he already has a lot of trophies – I have to be quick.”
Quizzed on whether he felt Saints could go all the way in the competition, he replied: “This is the goal, we will work for this and I hope we will improve.
“I am very happy because it’s my first goal in my young career and I hope it is not the last one.
“It’s important, like every player I know it’s not my best quality but I have to improve – I am very happy and I hope I will score a lot of goals.
“It’s for my family and for me personally also because I worked for this and I am happy.
“With the win it’s perfect, so I am very happy to score in the game and my penalty also.
“It was a tough game against a good team. It was not a perfect game but what’s important is the win, so we have done the job.”
Diallo, a £12million signing for Saints from Brest last October, has made four substitute appearances for Hasenhuttl’s side in the Premier League this season.
“Individually I try to work,” added the Tours-born star.
“I try to help the team and be ready if the coaches want my quality to help the team to win.”
Assessing Diallo’s overall display against the Blades, manager Hasenhuttl said: “I am happy for him to score the first goal in his time here with us.
“He had some very good moments in the game and sometimes he takes a little bit too long to find the right decision.
“But we have, in general, on Tuesday been not so composed on the ball, not so smart with the right decision to take and it was a tough game.”
Saints find out their last 16 opponents in the cup this evening.
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