SAINTS under-21 boss Simon Rusk is unsurprised by how quickly Irish starlet Romeo Akachukwu has adapted to football on the south coast.

Akachukwu made his long-awaited move to Southampton from Waterford having turned 18 earlier this summer.

It has not taken the Ireland under-19 international long to establish himself as an important player in the Premier League 2.

He netted the opening goal in an impressive 2-1 win over PL2 Champions Spurs just days after making his senior debut at Cardiff City in the Carabao Cup.

Bosses at Southampton have high expectations for the talented teenager and view him as someone who can break into the first-team environment in the future.

Rusk is among those impressed by Akachukwu - although he refused to single him out, insisting all under-21 players require his full focus.

He said: "I'm not surprised. He's a good player and we've brought him here for a reason. It's good for him that he's made that start.

"As his coach, I'm going to say that he has to remain level about all of those things - he needs to knuckle down and graft for the long term.

"Romeo got the moment on the pitch, but there is a lot of lads in the under-21s who are making a lot of progress.

"It's important for me not to focus on individuals and ensure that we are all moving together."

Fellow Irish youth international Joe O'Brien Whitmarsh came on for his senior debut at Cardiff having impressed senior coaches since his arrival last season.

Jayden Moore, 17, and Jay Robinson, 17, were named on the bench alongside seasoned veteran Adam Lallana.

Former Under-21 stars Tyler Dibling and Sam Amo-Ameyaw played a key role in the thrilling 5-3 victory - further establishing themselves as senior players.

Rusk admitted Saints are lucky to have senior coaches who are invested in providing a pathway for youth team players into the first team.

Sam Amo-Ameyaw, 18, scored Southampton's second goal at CardiffSam Amo-Ameyaw, 18, scored Southampton's second goal at Cardiff (Image: PA)
He added: "I've been quite travelled in academy football - I worked at Brighton for quite some time. I've worked at different stages of youth development in different roles.

"We are really lucky that the first team staff here take such a keen interest in the academy and the under-21s.

"They involved myself in the game against Cardiff. The boys that came on was a great reward for everyone in the academy.

"I'm privileged that I get to talk about it here but there are so many members of staff that will have seen those lads at a younger age.

"They've been in the trenches with them and deserve a massive amount of credit for that. It's a massive boost for the club and hopefully, we can keep that going."