Hasenhüttl 'can't find many negatives' about Saints defender | OneFootball

Ralph Hasenhüttl has lavished praise on Southampton’s Jan Bednarek.

Signed in the summer of 2017, Bednarek was not given many opportunities by former Saints bosses Mauricio Pellegrino and Mark Hughes.

Hasenhüttl, though, rates him highly.

“I’ve seen him from the first day as a really good player,” the Austrian told the Southern Daily Echo.

“From the first training situation I had the feeling he could give us much more.

“From the moment I came the trust I put in him he’s paid back every minute he’s played.”

Bednarek made just one Premier League start this season before Hasenhüttl arrived on the south coast in December. That game saw him subbed off at half-time.

Now, though, the 22-year-old is set for a 12th consecutive league start against Arsenal on Sunday.

“He’s been amazing,” Hasenhüttl added. “The saves he’s made sometimes have helped us to get a lot of points.

“I’ve been thinking the positives and deficits every player has, and I haven’t found a lot of deficits in his game.

“That shows me how well he’s done until now.”

Southampton have kept just one clean sheet since Hasenhüttl arrived, drawing 0-0 at Chelsea in January.

They have, though, picked up 15 points from 12 games to climb towards safety. The Saints sit 18th heading into the weekend.