Ralph Hasenhüttl has praised Oriol Romeu for his fighting qualities after restoring the midfielder to the Southampton squad, explaining that he sees him as an important player for the type of game he is implementing at the club.
Romeu had been struggling to make the matchday squad towards the end of Mark Hughes's time as manager, but he has been given a new lease of life since Hasenhüttl arrived at St Mary's.
ralph hasenhüttl
i know what a fighter i have in this person. he is an important player for me.
on oriol romeu
That culminated with the 27-year-old being handed the captain's armband for Thursday night's game against West Ham, as Romeu started a fourth match in a row.
"I think he's absolutely a fighter," said Hasenhüttl. "He's a guy who played very well the last two games and I think he deserved to lead this squad on the pitch.
"It wasn't so easy a game for him, but I know what a fighter I have in his person. In terms of his football and mentality he is a good guy, he wins a lot of balls and that is important in my game, so he is an important player for me."
Hasenhüttl is also pleased to be welcoming back Pierre-Emile Højbjerg for Sunday's game against Manchester City, with the midfielder having completed his one-match ban.
"He is an important player for our team, because he is captain and I think he is a very smart player who knows exactly what we demand of his position, and he showed that he can help us a lot in this position, and I am looking forward to him coming back," said Hasenhüttl.
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