Southampton defender Romain Perraud has admitted he needed time to adjust to life in the Premier League, which is a jungle.
Perraud joined Southampton in a £10.8m deal from Stade Brestois in July last year and has since established himself as a first-team regular this year.
He already has 18 appearances in all competitions to his name so far, including 15 in the Premier League, a tally he is likely to add to before the end of the campaign.
While he’s been a regular under Ralph Hassenhuttl, he has found himself in and out of the team, spending periods on the bench as Hassenhuttl has rotated.
For example, he spent the whole of December sat on the bench but then followed that by making six straight appearances and managing 90 minutes in all of them.
That run of games has helped the Frenchman to show what he’s really about, something even he admits has taken it’s time.
“I needed time to adapt. I played at the beginning, before being more on the bench,” he told L’Equipe.
“Then I took advantage of injuries and cases of Covid. I knew that I wouldn’t be a permanent starter right away.
“Although we are a mid-table team, there are ten or so internationals and 25 players who are vying for a starting place. Here, the notion of ‘we bought a player, he’s going to play’ doesn’t exist.
“I went from a family club to the Premier League, where it’s a jungle. You have to have the character to make your mark, but the guys are nice at Southampton.
“With the accumulation of matches, I became more serene with the ball and, in the duels, I got tougher. The victory at Tottenham (3-2, 9 February) was my best match; I provided an assist. I think I proved to the club, the fans and my teammates that they can count on me.”
