Aribo: I want to be seeing as a very good Premier League player

Joe Aribo is on the bench in what may end up as his second game against Manchester City who are hosting Southampton Saturday at the Etihad stadium in a Premier League match week nine tie.

The Nigerian, 28, is however determined to make his mark in the English topflight league after making his debut in August 2022.

South London born signed for Saints in 2022 for £10million, after scoring in the Europa League final at Rangers, but suffered relegation in his first season.

He has started five of the seven matches he has featured in in the competition so far this term and has told the Daily Echo he wants to make his mark as a very good Premier League player.

‘I want to mark my stamp as a Premier League footballer, that’s a dream of mine. I just want to be acknowledged or be known as a very good player really, nothing too crazy, but I know what I am capable of.

‘I know what abilities I have and my purpose I believe is to showcase them for the world to see,’ he told the newspaper and also talked about the Saints’ relegation after the 2022/23 season.

‘The relegation was a difficult season for me and I had my ups and downs when I wasn’t playing, but you have to learn from it.

‘Nobody’s career is going to keep soaring upwards and you have to go through a phase of being humble, and I think that’s what it does.

‘It realigns your goals and where you want to get to. Disappointment is a part of life, and it took a long season to get here.

‘Our goal was to be back in the Premier League, we did it the hard way going to Wembley, but we did it and we’re back again,’ he said.