FORWARD Paul Onuachu praised full-back and January arrival Welington following a "brilliant" Saints debut at Ipswich Town.
Match winner Onuachu credited the Brazilian defender for putting in a lot of effort, helping Saints claim a 2-1 win over the Tractor Boys - their relegation rivals.
Welington was aggressive in the tackle, successfully winning 10 of his 13 ground duels and drawing two fouls as he managed to keep Ipswich's tricky winger Omari Hutchinson quiet on his first senior appearance since mid-October.
"He was brilliant, to be honest," Onuachu told the Daily Echo, reflecting on the 23 year old's debut at Portman Road. (He gave) a lot of energy, a lot of running.
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"You could see at the end, it's the first Premier League game. The tempo is high. Everybody could feel it at the end, he was a little bit tired, but he really gave a lot.
"And then he ran front and back. He's a good player. I think the coach just has to utilise everybody with the way we train."
The former Sao Paulo man eventually pulled up in the 81st minute and was clapped off by the visiting Saints supporters on the opposite side of the stadium.
Manager Ivan Juric will hope Welington is available to face Championship promotion hopefuls Burnley on Saturday, February 8 (3pm), in the FA Cup fourth round.
