ARMANDO Broja’s super speed won Saints a “clear foul” insists Ralph Hasenhuttl, who adds that the on-loan forward “likes it here with us”.

The Albanian international was again pivotal for his loanee club as Saints picked up a 3-2 win at West Ham’s London Stadium.

As well as winning the penalty that James Ward-Prowse slotted home to give his side the lead for a second time, Broja is a general menace and currently shares the joint-top place with his skipper for Saints’ top league goalscorer this campaign.

The 20-year-old has four goals in seven starts and his strikes alone have earned Saints five points that could be crucial.

Supporters are already committing football’s cardinal sin – falling in love with a loan player – but Hasenhuttl insists that Broja loves playing his football with the St Mary’s outfit at the moment.

“Yes, I think it was a clear foul,” Hasenhuttl said, of Craig Dawson’s trip on Broja in the second-half.

“If it was inside or outside (the box) I cannot see from my perspective.

“But it was a clear foul because he’s gone, he can score or assist. He’s quick, Broja is super-quick.

“They had problems with him in the first game and this is the reason why I think that it is good that the referee looked at it again on the VAR decision.”

And asked how important Hasenhuttl considers the Chelsea prospect to be to his team, he told the Daily Echo: “Very important, yeah absolutely.

“He gets better and better. Likes it here with us, likes to play with us, feels comfortable here and is willing to learn to work hard, and this is what we do.”