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Does Kamaldeen Sulemana Have A Part To Play In Southampton's Season

Kamaldeen Sulemana came to life in the final game of the Premier League season for Saints, two goals and a spectacular somersault celebration finally announced his arrival at St Mary's , four months after joining, but then complete silence.

One of the big questions in the summer transfer window for Saints supporters was whether Kamaldeen Sulemana would stay or go, there was no sign of him in any of the pre season friendlies and more to the point no real updates on whether he was injured or otherwise.

Indeed up until the final week or so of the window, there was little talk of any club's really being interested in him, presumably shy of paying not only the £25 million that Southampton wanted to get their money back on their January investment or of paying his wages.

Everton were rumoured to be after him, but that fell though with little real fanfare.

So now the big question is whether the Ghanian is ready and willing to knuckle down and help Saints get back into the Premier League.

Russell Martin has spoken to The Daily Echo about his first sightings of Sulemana.

"I'm really excited to try and get Kamaldeen back on the pitch as quickly as possible, we only saw him for literally two training sessions and he got injured.

"In one of them I nearly fell over when he was dribbling he was that quick - he’s an exciting talent."

Undoubtably he showed enough in glimpses last season that he can be a real talent, but the question is whether attitude is holding him back, Saints have been coy about his whereabouts since the team returned to training at the start of July, no real mention was made of his injury and he failed to make an appearance pre season.

That led to Southampton supporters asking whether the player was actually injured at all, rumours of a clique in the squad formed by the African contingent did the rounds and talk was that certain players did not want to stay at the club and had been training away from the main squad.

Certainly Sulemana has not been prominent in either his appearances in pictures of training up until a week or so ago, or for that matter in the media.

Undoubtably if he gets his head around the fact that he is in the Championship for the time being and concentrates on improving his game, then he can be a force to be reckoned with, he only showed glimpses last season and only clicked in that final game against Liverpool, but that in many respects was a glorified kick around, now he has the chance to get to grips with the game in England, and toughen himself up physically and mentally, so that when he does get back into the Premier League, this time he makes a true impact.

Nathan Tella is an example, in truth when he went on loan to Burnley a year ago, many were not bothered, here was a player with just the one goal in the Premier League, he too had shown glimpses, but never any real consistency, but the Championship turned him into a different player.

Let's hope that Kamaldeen Sulemana is ready to play for Saints, the club has been right to keep him on a low profile whatever the reason for his absence, but now is the time of reckoning, will he or won't he commit to Southampton, if only for the short term.

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