NATHAN Tella revealed the advice given to him by his Saints team-mates as he continues to search for his goal for the club.

The 21-year-old has enjoyed a breakthrough season with the Hampshire club, playing 17 times across all competitions, having debuted less than a year ago.

But despite featuring in an advanced midfield position or as a striker, the talented youngster is yet to find the net for the first team.

Tella, who has a prolific scoring record for the B team, was praised by boss Ralph Hasenhuttl as one of Saints' stand-out performers during last week's narrow defeat at Tottenham Hotspur, in what was the former Arsenal man's fourth Premier League start.

Asked if a goal was the only thing missing personally from his first full season with the senior side, having seen a couple of presentable opportunities come and go, Tella told the Daily Echo: "Yeah I know! A lot of the boys have just given me that confidence not to rush in front of goal.

"They’ve just allowed me to express myself, do all the right things and it will fall into place. I feel like if I think too much about scoring, I think I’ll affect other parts of my game.

"So I’d rather just work on helping the team to the best of my ability and then if a goal comes, the goal will come. But as an attacker of course I want to always score.

"I’ve just got to help the team first and then I think that will come eventually."

Quizzed on what the likes of Danny Ings, Che Adams and Theo Walcott have said to try and help, Tella added: "They’ll all just say ‘don’t rush, don’t overthink’. If you get the opportunity you get in front of goal, you’ve just got to make sure you do the right thing, don’t snatch at it.

"Because I feel like I’ve had opportunities, in the Liverpool game and the Leeds game, I just saw the fact I was in front of goal and just snatched at it.

"I didn’t think of the technique I needed to use and I think the fact that obviously I spoke to a few of the coaches and the fact that we’ve got finishing sessions as well has helped me to just compose myself in front of goal.

"I feel like that’s helped me a lot, so if I do get the opportunity to score, hopefully I can take it.

"But right now I’m just looking to help the team in as many ways as possible, whether it’s from a goal, whether it’s from my defensive work, whether it’s an assist, whatever helps the team win, I’ll be happy to do any of it."