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Southampton star is quietly going under the radar in playoff hunt

While several Southampton stars continue to steal the majority of the plaudits, one ace is quietly going under the radar.
Coventry City v Southampton - Sky Bet Championship - Coventry Building Society Arena
Coventry City v Southampton - Sky Bet Championship - Coventry Building Society Arena | Jacob King - PA Images/GettyImages

Tonda Eckert has been right to dish out wild praise to a number of his top Southampton performers over the past couple of matches.

Daniel Peretz has frequently been showered with positive comments, ever since he joined in January to help kickstart the Saints' unbelievable 13-game unbeaten run.

Indeed, Peretz - who is situated at St Mary's on a loan basis from Bayern Munich - has instantly fit in as a reliable goalkeeper body, with six clean sheets now under his belt on the South Coast.

This has led to Eckert lauding the 'keeper as only "getting better and better", after he dramatically made seven saves in a recent gritty 1-0 win on the road at Norwich City.

Alongside Peretz, who is now been called up to the Israel national team, Eckert has been complimentary of loyal first-team servant Flynn Downes, too, who he noted as being at his "peak" as of late, off the back of him scoring a vital goal against Coventry City.

It's tricky at the moment to pick out a glaring underperformer, in all fairness, as Southampton begin to be at the tip of every neutral's tongue, as to who could take the playoffs by storm and move up to the Premier League.

There is one performer who has gone under the radar recently for his quiet importance to the cause, with a full team effort required to get over the line, and instantly break back into the promised land.

The Southampton star continuing to go under the radar

Eckert hasn't had things entirely his own way, even as he's collected the February Manager of the Month accolade, and masterminded an exciting playoff push.

Indeed, he has been tasked with utilising some fringe squad members as of late, with Leo Scienza and Ross Stewart suffering from ill-timed injuries.

Samuel Edozie started down Scienza's flank against the Canaries and was praised, with the German highlighting all the "dirty work" the ex-Manchester City youngster does, as a glowing plus.

In Stewart's space, Cyle Larin has filled the gap, and he's provided the promotion-chasers with a competent, understated replacement so far.

Joining on loan in the same hectic window Peretz entered the building from RCD Mallorca, he hasn't been quite as jaw-dropping to take in as the agile 'stopper.

But, he's still played a key role in some nervy games, crying out for a moment of quality, with a last-gasp equaliser from the Canadian away at West Bromwich Albion, keeping the South Coast giants' long-lasting unbeaten run intact.

Also assisting Finn Azaz's winner against Norwich with a cleverly executed flick, the unassuming 30-year-old - who is more accustomed to clashes in the MLS, La Liga and Super Lig across his nomadic career - looks to have found another comfortable home to call his own, at St. Mary's.

Even bagging a goal in the Champions League across his eventful career to date, Larin will fancy his chances of being a playoff-winning hero if an opportunity presents itself dowm the line.

If he was to play an important role in Southampton instantly returning to the Premier League, this would be another overwhelming positive on the Ontario-born attacker's varied CV.

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