MANAGER Ralph Hasenhuttl revealed how he wanted to give promising talent Dan N’Lundulu the chance to showcase his skills in the top flight and added: “He’s a type of striker we don’t have in our side.”

Saints academy graduate N’Lundulu came off the bench for his senior debut on Sunday, replacing Che Adams during the latter stages of the hosts’ 2-0 victory over Everton.

N’Lundulu, 21, first joined the St Mary’s side at under-15 level and has been an influential part of the club’s under-23 setup – now known as the B team.

And Hasenhuttl was happy to see the powerful frontman earn his opportunity at senior level and insisted it was key to send a message to the younger players at the club.

Asked about N’Lundulu’s debut, the Austrian boss told the Daily Echo: “I wanted to give him the chance to show up for the first time.

“It was not so easy because we didn’t play so much anymore (in the game) – we tried to keep the ball - but he did a good job.

“He’s calm on the ball and still attacking hard.

“I liked him. It was good for him to get this message – we want to force these young players and he’s one of them.

“He’s a type of striker we don’t have in our side so far. He gives us physical options, can keep the ball very well.

“He’s also learned to work hard in front. This was something our youth have to learn and in the past month we were working a lot with the under-23s and with these teams.

“They are more and more adapted to what we are doing here in the first team and it is nice to see when they are coming out, they are now on a different level.”

N’Lundulu originally started playing football in France and previously listed one of his idols as AC Milan superstar Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Speaking to the club website earlier this season about his quest to be part of the first team, N’Lundulu said: “I’m still trying to understand the instructions from the first-team manager. I’ve got to show him that I can do the job.

“I’ve got to keep proving myself in every game and every training session, keep working hard.”

Asked what the forward could learn from working with the likes of Danny Ings and Adams, Hasenhuttl replied: "He has learned a lot from them and all the coaches because they are really taking care of him.

“I think everything must aim to the goal that we have more quality and more alternatives for our first team.

“This is the goal for the future."