SHANE Long is an “absolute” professional in the eyes of teammate Moi Elyounoussi, who shared his delight at seeing the Irish international break his duck of almost two years without a goal for Saints.

Long came off the bench to give Ralph Hasenhuttl's men an extra-time winner, as they went on to beat Swansea 3-2 and progress to the fourth round of the FA Cup.

The former Reading man’s last strike for Saints came against Aston Villa in February 2020.

And whilst the Irishman scored for Bournemouth during his loan spell in Dorset last season, the delight was clear on his face as he celebrated his first goal of the campaign.

Long has come in for a lot of compliments from those at the club in recent weeks, with his manager and teammate Yan Valery also sharing their admiration for the 34-year-old.

Elyounoussi joined in with the praise, telling the Daily Echo: “He shows absolute professionalism, he gives 100 per cent in every training, week in and week out.

“I am so happy for him, personally.

“He deserves it.

“He laid off one for me as well, so he came on and changed the game for us.

“I’m really pleased for him.”

The introduction of Elyounoussi and Long eventually decided the game in Saints’ favour, with the pair each grabbing a goal in extra-time.

With a quick turnaround between games, it appears likely that at least one of the pair could start against Brentford in the Premier League on Tuesday.