Sometimes in football, a player comes along at just the right time and transforms a club. Cyle Larin has done just that at Southampton.
Since arriving in the same January window which saw Adam Armstrong sold to Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League, Larin has contributed three goals in nine Championship matches.
But Larin is a player whose contribution to the team is so much more than just goals. He is strong and holds the ball up like an old-fashioned centre forward.
When Larin is in the team, Tonda Eckert can utilise him as a target man, enabling Southampton to go direct if they are struggling to play through an opponent's press.
Larin's impact at St Mary's has been vital
The Canadian's first goal for his new club gave Saints fans a clear idea of what the big man was all about. Against Watford, with the score at 0-0, Larin flung himself at a James Bree corner and connected with a flying header which sent the ball flying past Egil Selvik and into the net.
After scoring from the spot in a fourth-round FA Cup win against Leicester City, Larin notched his second in the Championship with another vital headed goal, this time against strugglers West Bromwich Albion.
That very late equaliser earned the Saints a point, keeping them in touch with the top six just as it looked like they were slipping out of contention.
Before the international break, Larin finished a great Saints move to score from close range against Oxford United in a 2-0 home win at St Mary's.
Is Larin Premier League quality?
Now, with Southampton on the brink of securing a play-off place, @SaintsExtra on X have asked followers if the club should activate Larin's option-to-buy clause. The reactions have been quite mixed.
One of the key themes is that Southampton fans see Larin as a good backup option in the Championship, but not as a Premier League player. Others are more inclined to gauge the Canadian against Premier League opposition.
@psk_35 replied, “He is a threat to defenders, whatever you look at it. Maybe Arsenal will be a good test to see how he copes.“
The Saints striker is in action for Canada later today in a home match against Iceland before they take on Tunisia on Wednesday.
What condition Larin will be in by the time he returns to the South Coast is anybody's guess. Whatever the situation, Tonda Eckert might start with Ross Stewart up top against Arsenal on the 4th April in the FA Cup quarter-final.