Sam Vokes is hoping for a fairytale ending to his injury nightmare as he returns to Southampton tomorrow.
The Burnley striker, who was born and raised as a Saints fan, finally put a miserable year of knee problems behind him as he got a first Premier League start as the Clarets secured a famous victory over Manchester City.
Vokes will be supported at St Mary’s by his family, including father Tim who first took his son to watch Saints at The Dell when Sam was just three-years-old.
After so long on the sidelines it is sure to be an emotional occasion.
“It was brilliant,” said Vokes of his comeback against City. “It was great to get back out there and what a game to get it on. It was a massive result.
“There’s been a lot of stepping stones in building for my return and it’s great to get back to a win. It’s been a long road back so it was nice to almost get 90 minutes and the three points as well.
“That’s what I did in my rehab; building back towards this. This is a chance for me to prove myself at this level now.”
Vokes was rejected by Saints as a youngster but built a career at Bournemouth.
He went on to move to Wolves, for whom he scored against his boyhood club at Molineux in 2009 as Saints were relegated to League One, before switching to Burnley in 2012. He is also a full Wales international.
For the City win Vokes was up front alongside former Netley Abbey youngster, Danny Ings. Burnley boss Sean Dyche named an attacking side against City with those two up front in a 4-4-2 and another striker, Ashley Barnes, who scored the winner as the Clarets defeated Saints at Turf Moor in December, playing as a left sided midfielder.
It is something he may well look to continue at St Mary’s this weekend.
“We wanted a goal threat and felt Ashley had played there many times at Brighton, coming off the left,” said Dyche.
“We know he works and plays hard for the team, and it worked reasonably well.
“We wanted Vokesy to come back and be full on, ready to play, and he certainly looks closer, although there’s more to come.”
He added: “All the tactical nuances of what we do, when we win, it’s a good decision, if you don’t, it’s rubbish.
“It’s only the outcome that changes it, it could be a good decision even if you lost. It’s just deemed it’s not. I think we’ve been pretty brave in how we’ve gone about it. We were again on Saturday.
“People make a lot of the 4-4-2, it always implies it’s archaic.
“I think there’s a lot of flexibility in the way we play, it’s only a format to go and play from.”
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