NAT’S THE WAY TO DO IT
Saints youngster Tella dedicates first senior goal to his late grandfather 60, Walcott 82
SOUTHAMPTON Tella
Adams 27, FULHAM Carvalho 75 3 1
NATHAN TELLA dedicated his first professional goal to his late grandfather on an afternoon the 21-year-old will never forget.
Less than two minutes after appearing as a second-half substitute, Tella scored Southampton’s second (right) and manager Ralph Hasenhuttl said: “He’s the biggest talent we have at the moment.”
Tella said of his grandfather: “He passed away a couple of weeks ago. That was my first thought once the ball hit the back of the net.
“I thought of my family, I thought of him, and I know he’d be just proud of me today. I am dedicating that goal to him.”
He then set up Theo Walcott to score his first Saints goal of 2021. Tella said: “It’s something I’ve dreamed about since I was a kid. I’ve seen players scoring in the Premier League and I’m thinking, ‘Why can’t
I be one of those?’
“Now that I’ve been able to put the ball in the back of the net, and get off the mark, I hope this is just the start of a goalscoring run.”
The forward, who spent 10 years in Arsenal’s academy before switching to Saints in 2017, admitted he missed not having the chance to share his special moment with family and supporters.
He said: “Of course I wanted my family here. But, knowing my mum, she would’ve screamed so loud the whole stadium would’ve known it was her son that had scored! Perhaps she did it at home. It’s a great feeling.” Tella now admits the pressure is on him to prove to Hasenhuttl he is worth a place in the starting line-up on a more regular basis. He said:
“I’ve had chances this season, but I’ve known I’ve got to be so much better than that.
“But I’m just thankful it was able to go in the back of the net. I’m just delighted. It’s just an amazing and unforgettable experience.”
Walcott showed why Saints are eager to keep him. The 32-year-old returned on loan from Everton last October, after 15 years away, and has been offered a two-year deal with the prospect of a coaching role once he retires.
But Walcott’s future is one of many puzzles Hasenhuttl (above left) has to solve this summer.
The departure of former England defender Ryan Bertrand, announced last week, will further weaken his hand.
Top-scorer Danny Ings is still stalling on the offer of a new long-term contract, as he waits to see if one of the top four will make an offer for him. The big question for many Saints fans is whether or not the club can find a new owner, with current incumbent Jisheng Gao having failed to invest in the playing squad since taking control in 2017. Hasenhuttl added: “I have had a lot of conversations about that topic with the club. They know. “For me, it was clear to see this season that, if you want to be competitive over the 38 games, then you need to have depth to your squad. The Premier League is too strong.”
Che Adams had put Saints in front on 27 minutes. Teenager Fabio Carvalho pulled one back for Fulham to make it 2-1 in his first Premier League start.