Southampton U21 coach Rusk delighted with Akachukwu's recent success

The young forward made the transition from Waterford to the Saints when he reached the age of 18 during the summer.

Since then, he has already pushed himself up into a starring role for the club’s Premier League 2 side.

Asked about the youngster, Rusk 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."