SAINTS loan signing Joe Rothwell admitted he is willing to play 'wherever' manager Russell Martin asks him to.

The 29 year old swapped AFC Bournemouth for Southampton this month in search of more first-team football.

Upon his arrival at Staplewood, Martin outlined that Rothwell has been signed to play as an advanced midfielder - in the mould of Stuart Armstrong and Charly Alcaraz.

The former Blackburn man is also capable of playing as a holding midfielder, adding further versatility to his game.

Speaking to the Daily Echo, Rothwell explained that he is happy to fill in wherever Martin's system requires.

“Holding midfield is something I’ve done more in recent seasons. I had to do it a bit more last year because of the way we had to play to stay in the league.

“I really enjoyed doing that. It was a different side of the game that I hadn’t really done before because I was always that attacking eight.

“I will play wherever I am needed. As long as I’m on the pitch I’m happy.”

Rothwell got his first taste of playing in a Southampton shirt last Saturday when he came off the bench at Swansea.

"It was good," he added, reflecting on his maiden Saints appearance.

"It wasn’t as good as it was in the first half – I would have preferred to come into the game with how it was then.

“The last 20 minutes was more of a dog fight, but it was nice to pull the shirt on. Hopefully, there will be plenty more minutes out there for me.”

The midfielder's debut coincided with Saints setting a new record unbeaten run since the club joined the Football League.

READ MORE: 'Scratching my head' - Rothwell excited to learn new style at Southampton

Southampton have not lost in 20 league games (21 games in all competitions.)

The positive feeling at Saints has made it simpler for Rothwell to settle in, but he admits it adds some extra pressure to match the required level as soon as possible.

“It makes things easier, but you also don’t want to be the one that has come in and ended that run," he continued.

“The lads have been terrific. The first half on Saturday was one of the best first 45 minutes I’ve seen in a long time.

“They made you really want to get involved. That’s a credit to the manager and the staff. I’m hoping that I can be a part of it and help as much as possible."

Speaking after Rothwell's debut at the Swansea.com Stadium, Martin told the Daily Echo that Rothwell will feature against Watford.

The Manchester United youth product is also targeting that game for his first start: “You don’t know how the manager is going to set up.

“Everyone will want to step in because they want to keep that run going. If I am selected, I will be more than ready to go.”