SAINTS boss Ralph Hasenhuttl has revealed that young starlet Nathan Tella knocked on his door and asked to start for the B team after he had limited gametime with him this campaign.

The 22-year-old forward featured for David Horseman’s side during a 4-0 win over Aston Villa just over a week ago, earning and converting an early penalty for the opening goal.

It was his first appearance of the season for the young Saints after a prolific spell with them at the start of last campaign saw him pick up a deserved permanent berth in Hasenhuttl’s squad.

But Tella has made just six first-team appearances so far in 2021-22, including three in the EFL Cup, which saw eventual penalty defeat at Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge in the last 16.

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His only league start came in the 3-1 Premier League loss also at the home of the European champions – and Hasenhuttl has admitted that Tella came to him to find minutes elsewhere.

Daily Echo: Nathan Tella has been limited in first-team action this season (Pic: PA)Nathan Tella has been limited in first-team action this season (Pic: PA)

“Nathan asked us to play (for the under-23s) which I found great,” Hasenhuttl told the Daily Echo, “and he did a good job there. It also shows the character of this guy as this lad wasn’t playing fantastic.”

He also said: “I see him getting a few more chances to play soon. I think that the very front position is the best for him and I just have to try and find him chances to play.

“I am sure that he will get those chances in the future, definitely, we have a lot of duels up front and it is not so easy for him to get a chance to play up there - but he definitely has the quality to do this.

“I am hoping that I can give him those chances in the weeks ahead.”

Tella isn’t the only first teamer who has played for Horseman’s side this season, with Yan Valery starting at centre-back in the 5-0 win against Newcastle as part of his continued redevelopment, while Will Smallbone and Thierry Small have been operating in Premier League 2 as routes to full fitness.

Tella’s B team start came just 24 hours after he was an unused sub in Saints’ 1-0 win at Watford, and

Hasenhuttl was asked again if he was pleased with the character of Tella to knock on his door.

He continued: “Yeah, very. I am not the kind of manager who will force my players to play (for the under-23s) but I am a manager who really likes to see players coming to me and asking me to play.

“When I joined, I was told about Oriol (Romeu) when he was not in the first team and he wanted to play in the under-23s because he need games. He knows how important it is, especially the 90 minutes, very important to get the rhythm and the minutes in your legs.

“This is what he understands also, immediately. Tella is convinced about his quality. He knows that if he plays for them he always scores there and this shows his mentality.

Hasenhuttl finished: “This is a good message to me and a good message to the team, the club and for everybody.”