Southampton legend Dean Hammond has heaped praise on Saints goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu for his performance against Manchester United.
Ruben Selles’ side faced the Red Devils at Old Trafford in the Premier League on Sunday, 12th March. They managed to hold the hosts, who were reduced to 10 men in the first half, to a 0-0 draw and came away with a point.
Among those who impressed for Southampton on the afternoon was Bazunu. The goalkeeper made four saves in the game, including a stunning effort to deny Bruno Fernandes in the second half.
Hammond feels the display against Manchester United was Bazunu’s best performance for the Saints. Speaking after the game, the former captain waxed lyrical about the Irishman, terming him brilliant.
"“I thought he [Bazunu] was brilliant,” Hammond said on Southampton’s The Final Whistle podcast.“That was the best performance I’ve seen from him in a Southampton shirt.”“He looked really, really confident. It’s like a goalscorer not scoring for a long time and then getting two or three in two or three games.”“That’s his third clean sheet [in four games] now, which would do him a world of good, especially since it’s his debut season at this level.”"
Bazunu, who joined the Saints for a deal worth £15m last summer, has made 31 appearances across all competitions for the club, keeping five clean sheets in the process.
Southampton legend wowed by Gavin Bazunu’s save
Hammond went on to analyse Bazunu’s save to deny Fernandes in the second half, explaining how difficult it was to pull it off. The Southampton legend also said that he was impressed by the 21-year-old’s maturity.
"“The one in the second half against Fernandes was brilliant, it really was because it had curl on it, it had dip and it bounced just in front of him,” Hammond added.“As a ball bounces and skids off the turf, it gains speed and momentum, so [it was] a really, really good save.”“And he had that luck on his side that it hits the post and doesn’t go in.”“That Fernandes save was really important because he did not have a lot to do, so it shows his maturity, it showed that he’s concentrating on the game when he’s not having a lot to do.”"
Ireland legend Paul McGrath said that he ‘feared’ for Bazunu ahead of the game. However, the shot-stopper held his own at Old Trafford.