Anchoring midfielder lifts lid on his Southampton struggles under Russell Martin.

Southampton midfielder Lesley Ugochukwu has spoken about his previous troubles under former manager Russell Martin.

What if I asked you which players had progressed the most under manager Ivan Juric? Your obvious response would be striker Paul Onuachu or winger Kamaldeen Sulemana.

That’s a good response, but do you believe we’re missing one?

Lesley Ugochukwu, the underestimated and unappreciated prodigy pivot.

The recent management shift appears to have had a positive impact on him. Ugochukwu has been praised by teammates and the manager for his heroic performances in recent Southampton games.

However, his Saints’ trip was not always that smooth. Ugochukwu has seriously considered returning to Chelsea.

All of this began with him rising dramatically under ex-boss Russell Martin’s leadership. While Ugochukwu had some difficult games, he did not deserve to be a non-starter in the Premier League for three months running.

Anchoring midfielder reveals his Southampton troubles under Russell Martin

Fortunately, the appointment of coach Ivan Juric has improved things for the Frenchman. Now, a lesson: Ugochukwu faced some really difficult days throughout those months.

According to the Daily Echo, he recently discussed his former experience, stating that while it wasn’t easy, he learned from it. Sometimes it looks like this. I believe I did my best, and the gaffer made his judgment. “I take it as experience.”

However, crediting Ugochukwu’s Southampton redemption only to Juric will be unfair. Whether deliberately or not, his former Rennes teammate and current Saints colleague Kamaldeen Sulemana had a significant influence in this.

At the moment, Saints fans are overjoyed to see this combination thrive under Juric. If this is gratifying, what may Juric accomplish with new signing Albert Gronbaek?

Southampton already seems like it’s improving, and with Gronbaek, the ex-Rennes trio might be important in avoiding relegation.

Read more on sportupdates.co.uk