Richard Chaplow shows his value in first game since becoming a fully-fledged Saint

The midfielder was back in the Saints starting line-up yesterday, after turning his loan spell at the club into a permanent transfer, just in time to take part against Exeter.

Ostracised at Preston by the now-departed Darren Ferguson, Chaplow has been embraced by Nigel Adkins at St Mary’s.

Against Exeter, the 25-year-old turned in another dynamic display that left you wondering exactly why the Lilywhites were willing to let him go.

His signing, for a reported £50,000, is an absolute steal and one that North End – struggling for their Championship survival – might live to regret.

Energetic, strong in the tackle, a good distributor and also a goal threat, Chaplow possesses all the qualities Saints could hope for in a central midfield player.

Surely he’s the type of player Preston could use right now? But their loss is firmly Saints’ gain.

Chaplow’s performances since joining on loan in September have been of a consistently high standard and he will be an important asset in the club’s promotion push.

While other players grabbed the limelight yesterday, Chaplow's display would not have gone unnoticed, as he took control of the central midfield area.

He covered a huge amount of ground, and his domination helped make life easier on midfield partner Morgan Schneiderlin, who revelled in the room he received to show off his talents.

Adkins deserves plenty of credit for bringing Chaplow into Saints.

As well as results, managers are also judged on their performance in the transfer windows.

Owners and chairmen don’t take kindly to their money being wasted, but Adkins has shown he is capable of coming up with a gem.

That will only give chairman Nicola Cortese more reason to back him with funds over the next few weeks.

And if the rest of Adkins’ business in the transfer window is as impressive as the Chaplow deal then it could be a good month for Saints.