He has cost his last three clubs a total of around 23 million Euros – yet has all too infrequently hit the headlines for the right reasons.

Speeding fines, crashed cars, Twitter rows.

Eljero Elia’s recent off-the-field list of controversies has seen him labelled by some in the media as ‘the Dutch Balotelli’.

Up until last Saturday, that comparison also rang true in terms of the number of goals he had scored.

Balotelli has only managed one Premier League goal in his last 28 appearances for Manchester City (16) and Liverpool (12).

Elia, though, arrived at Saints on loan at the start of this month having only netted FOUR goals in FOUR years.

He had failed to score in 29 matches – all but one of them for Saints – prior to his two-goal show at Newcastle that kept his new club well in contention for an amazing top four finish.

Elia only managed four Bundesliga goals for Bremen in his 66 appearances – 13 of which came off the bench.

Having been signed from Juventus in the summer of 2012 for 5.5 million Euros, Elia had to wait until his 31st appearance for Bremen before he grabbed his first goal for the club.

Bit different to his time at Saints, therefore!

In the summer of 2009, Hamburg had splashed out 8.5m Euros to sign Elia from Dutch club Twente.

After only two goals in 29 outings – the last of which was scored in December 2010 – he was on the move again in September 2011.

Thi stime Italian giants Juventus paid out 9.5m Euros to take the player to Serie A.

His time at Juve, though, was a dismal flop.

Elia only started one game – making three other sub appearances – as Juve completed the season unbeaten in the league.

Frustrated at his lack of chances, Elia returned to Germany with Bremen.

Amid all his moving in the past few years, one thing has remained constant – a lack of goals.

Until now that is.

Until Ronald Koeman, the man with the midas touch, got hold of him.

Koeman, the manager who got Jack Cork and Victor Wanyama scoring for Saints.

The manager who got Ryan Bertrand scoring his first goal for over four years.

The manager who master-minded Saints’ first win at Arsenal since 1987.

The manager who master-minded Saints’ first league victory at Old Trafford since 1988.