The Southampton star has a chance to impress his old boss when he comes up against Mauricio Pochettino’s Spurs side at St Mary’s on Wednesday night.
Southampton striker Jay Rodriguez could well find himself on Tottenham’s transfer shortlist after tonight’s game between the two sides, as the one time England cap looks to continue his long return to the form that made him one of the Premier League’s most exciting English attackers under the management of this evening’s London opponents.
Since a devastating ACL injury in April 2014, that saw him never make another appearance under Pochettino at St Mary’s, and also miss the World Cup in Brazil that summer, the forward has found it difficult to both return to form and return to his role as a key man for the Saints.
Southampton’s Jay Rodriguez celebrates scoring their third goal with team mates
This is his third season since that knee injury, and in that time Rodriguez has failed to add to his England cap while he has recorded just six Premier League starts. However, while there have been flourishes of promise in the cups, it wasn’t until his match winning performance in the South Coast derby before Christmas that Rodriguez really looked like his old self in the top flight.
With Charlie Austin out injured, Claude Puel is likely to go with the former Burnley man against his old boss, while the Tottenham manager admitted he was so happy to see Rodriguez impress against the Cherries that he contacted the player after his Bournemouth brace (ESPN).
Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino
And if the 27-year-old puts in another strong performance, it could well see Pochettino rekindle his interest in a player who played the best football of his career under the Argentine. Spurs were linked to Rodriguez after Pochettino had moved to White Hart Lane by the likes of the Mirror, in the summer of 2014, a rumour that fell away as the striker failed to return to first team football for the entirety of that season.
Given his age, the Southampton star can still enjoy a successful career, especially if he continues to demonstrate that his knee problems are a thing of the past.
And as a versatile, pacy attacker who is very comfortable out wide and in a central position, he is the kind of player Pochettino has been crying out for in his squad since moving to North London two and a half years ago.
Tottenham’s Harry Kane in action with Manchester United’s Marcos Rojo
There is little doubt that the Argentine would be keen to add Rodriguez to a forward line that has just Harry Kane and Vincent Janssen in its ranks this season – even if Southampton would be dead against his departure after standing by him in recent seasons, and with problems of their own up front. A big fee would, however, give the Saints manoeuvrability in the upcoming transfer window.
And a big performance tonight, and crucially, a performance where Rodriguez looks fit and strong, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Lilywhites return to St Mary’s with an offer next month.
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