After his recall to the Danish International side Pierre Emile Hojbjerg is finally starting to show his maturity according to his the Danish team manager.
Pierre Emile Hojbjerg had a rocky start at Saints, after a reasonable first season he found himself completely out of the cold at St Mary's at the start of last season and dropped from the Danish International side with Denmark manager Ã…ge Hareide publicly questioning his attitude.
However he knuckled down got his place back in the Saints side, finished runner up in the player of the year voting and now his rehabilitation seems to be complete with his recall to the Denmark set up.
Now Ã…ge Hareide is giving praise where praise is duebys saying:
"Pierre Emile Højbjerg has managed to act for the team and not just for himself. he’s become a grown boy."
"Even when we had him inside the squad before the World Cup, I could see that he has grown both on and off the pitch."
"The time in Southampton has been a bit turbulent, but now he has recovered. He has added several dimensions to his game. I think he has been in a positive development over a long period of time."
"I really sense he wants to play on the national team, he has also expressed his wish to return.”
This is good news for Saints fans who can see just how much Hojbjerg has come on over the last year and he is now an essential part of the team .
Although he did not show it at Saints clearly his attitude wasn't right in his first year with the club but now with that fixed he can start to show just why Saints signed him and the potential he has.
The Dane is typical of players Saints have signed over the past couple of years, they have clearly all had potential but for some reason unlike some of our signings before them, they haven't been immediate success's, but Hojbjerg is part of a number of players who a year ao perhaps looked to have no future at St Mary's who are now essential parts of the team.
Alex McCarthy being one and Nathan Redmond another, Redmond especially is now finally showing just what he can do and is well on the way to turning those fans around who not so long ago were spitting on the ground at the mention of his name.
These three are examples that when players join a club they don't always shine from the beginning, they are now regulars and playing well, now we need those who have signed since them to show their worth, these three are proof that first glimpses are not always the right ones, if we can now get Hoedt, Vestergaard & Elyounoussi starting to shine then it will perhaps show that the squad at St Mary's is not the relegation fodder that some of our fans seem to think.
Saints do have to rebuild and importantly restore the confidence in the team itself, the players are there as a foundation to move forward, they just need to find their confidence as McCarthy, Redmond & Hojbjerg have done.