Southampton Coach Russell Martin Hails Super Eagles’ Joe Aribo

Southampton Coach Russell Martin hailed Nigerian midfielder, Joe Aribo, after he scored his first goal in over a year for the English Championship club.

Joe Aribo waited for more than 12 months to score for Southampton on Tuesday, December 26, a sign that he is returning to the form he was known for, especially during his days at Glasgow Rangers.

Aribo’s accurate finish from the edge of the box helped Southampton to defeat Swansea 5-0. Nigerian-born English youth international Sam Edoziee scored twice, while Ryan Fraser added a brace after Che Adams had scored the match opener.

The Super Eagles midfielder scored his first goal in four hundred and fifty days in the seventeenth minute. He scored his last goal for the English team on October 1, 2022, in their 2-1 Premier League loss to Everton before they were demoted to the second-tier league at the end of the 2023-2024 season.

After Southampton’s emphatic win over Swansea, Russell told reporters how at ease he had felt starting Joe Aribo against Swansea, describing the Nigerian as “a beast” in training.

“When Joe Aribo wasn’t playing, he didn’t show frustration with the players, he trained like a beast. He would come to speak to me and get his frustration out,” Russell said.

Recall that Aribo started experiencing a lack of form and lack of game time before Southampton were relegated to the Championship at the end of last season. Unfortunately, he has not been able to regain his form consistently aside from in the game against Swansea on Boxing Day.

So far this season, Aribo has managed to start in six games of the eighteen games he has featured in, but the Nigeria international doesn’t see that as an issue.

“For me it’s all about being a good teammate, being there for my boys, because we all go towards it together. There’s no one man in a team, it’s everyone,” Aribo said.

“It’s been a long time coming! Someone asked me earlier on Tuesday ‘What would I want for Christmas?’ and I said ‘to score’, so I’ve got my wish, thankful to God.”