It's fair to say that Southampton's decision to loan Canadian striker Cyle Larin while simultaneously selling the club's top scorer to a struggling Premier League team in January was not popular with Saints fans.
Larin was in a dismal run of form at Feyenoord when the Saints signed him on loan from parent club Malaga. Having scored just once in fifteen matches in the Eredivisie, it was impossible to see how he could replace Adam Armstrong in the Southampton team.
However, since arriving on the South Coast, Larin has made a tremendous difference. His flying header snatched all three points for his new side in a tight match at home against Watford.
Then, he led the line strongly against Leicester City in the FA Cup, stepping up to dispatch a penalty won by Sam Edozie. Southampton ran out 2-1 winners after extra-time to set up a fifth round tie away at Fulham.
Although the Canadian journeyman striker failed to score at Hillsborough in the Saints' convincing 3-1 win, last time out, he worked hard and hassled the centre-backs throughout the game.
The key to Larin's success, according to Larin himself, has been the ease with which he and his family have settled in Southampton.
Family is central to Larin's success
The importance of family to Larin is clear for all to see. The word 'family' is tattooed onto Larin's left arm, while portraits of his relatives are visible on his left leg.
"In the last year and a half, I've moved three times. It was a very important move for me, the club knew that, and Tonda knew that," Larin told the Daily Echo.
"The club has helped me a lot with that, making sure that the family is settled down. They have made sure that we are comfortable, that my kids are comfortable.
"When all of that stuff is fine, you are able to focus more on the pitch. You can play freely without worrying if your family will be okay.
"We don't only step onto the pitch and play. We have families too, and other things going on in our lives. With the pressure of playing football, you have to deal with other pressures.
"It's all about finding the balance between family and football so that you can play football at the top level."
Cyle Larin's career record
Club | Played | Goals |
|---|---|---|
Orlando City SC | 89 | 44 |
Besiktas JK | 109 | 39 |
RCD Mallorca | 76 | 14 |
Zulte Waregem | 33 | 9 |
Real Valladolid CF | 19 | 8 |
Southampton | 6 | 2 |
Feyenoord | 15 | 1 |
Club Brugge | 13 | 1 |
Larin has achieved one of his career goals
Larin has achieved his goal of playing in England and is loving the more direct style of play than he has grown used to in Spain and the Netherlands.
"Across my career, my goal was to play in England. Now that I'm here, I'm loving playing it. The style of play is more direct," he explained.
"When it comes to chances for the striker, if your teammate sees you there, they are going to give the ball directly to you.
Southampton boss Tonda Eckert has settled on a formation and style of play that benefits both Larin and his fellow striker Ross Stewart, allowing them to be interchangeable in the Saints team. Both have the ability to hold the ball up and bring other players into play.
"Our team fits me well. I hope I can bring enough quality to hold up the ball and bring my teammates up the field. I love to score goals, but I want to help the team in other ways.
"If I'm putting in the work and helping the team, I know the goals will come. Scoring two goals so early may have brought a bit of pressure off.
"I'm getting chances, and that's important. You can be in teams where you don't get chances, and the ball doesn't drop to you."
Cyle Larin may become a footnote in Southampton's footballing history, but his impact will afford him cult hero status if he can help Southampton achieve promotion this season. Maybe the journeyman striker may have finally found his spiritual home.