Southampton manager Russell Martin will go head-to-head with his former Swansea City talisman this weekend with the ‘outstanding’ Joel Piroe signing in top form at Championship rivals Leeds United.
Heading into Saturday lunchtimes kick-off on the back of four straight defeats – conceding 13 goals along the way – Joel Piroe will be licking his lips like a hungry wolf in a butcher’s shop.
Arguably the most naturally gifted forward in the Championship has four goals in five league starts since joining Leeds United, and the Dutchman will have few qualms about pushing the already under-pressure Martin ever closer to the brink as Daniel Farke’s side look to consign their hosts to a fifth reverse on the trot.
Leeds face Southampton at St Mary’s
“He’s an outstanding player,” Martin tells Hampshire Live of Piroe, who scored 44 goals under him in two years at Swansea.
“He has a great, great character. He’s a really top finisher. He understood and bought into everything we wanted to do (at Swansea). When we made it really clear what we expected of him, he was amazing for us.
“It’s no surprise to me that he’s one of the best strikers in the Championship and one of the best scorers in the Championship. It’s no surprise he has started out in the way he has (for Leeds).”
‘Outstanding’ Joel Piroe
Martin’s current employers were linked with Piroe themselves earlier in the summer but the former Rangers and Norwich defender insists a reunion at St Mary’s was never likely with Che Adams and Adam Armstrong already at Southampton’s disposal.
“Was (signing Piroe) ever an option? No, because we’ve got brilliant options here that we’re really happy with,” Martin adds.
“(But) would I have wanted him? Yeah, I loved working with him.”
Leeds climbed into the play-off places after hammering Watford last time out, Piroe opening the scoring as Giorginio Rutter produced his finest performance for the Yorkshire giants and Glen Kamara impressed en debut.
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