Koeman: Reijnders and Zirkzee are a 'super complete' duo
Southampton boss Ralph Hasenhuttl has heaped praise on young pair Thierry Small and Dynel Simeu after their impressive performances in the Carabao Cup win over Sheffield United.
The pair, both 17, started the game at St Mary's and played a key role in the Saints' 2-0 victory.
Small, a left-back, was making his full debut for the club, while Simeu, a centre-back, was making his second appearance.
Hasenhuttl was delighted with the performances of both players, saying:
"They were both excellent. Thierry is a very good player, he's very quick, very good on the ball and very good defensively. Dynel is also a very good player, he's very strong, very good in the air and very good with the ball at his feet."
The Austrian manager added that he was impressed with the way the pair worked together.
"They formed a good partnership," he said. "They were very good at communicating with each other and they were very good at supporting each other."
Hasenhuttl said that he was not surprised by the performances of Small and Simeu, as he had seen them both play well in training.
"I knew they were both good players," he said. "I've seen them in training and I've seen them play in the youth team and I knew they had the potential to play at this level."
The Southampton boss added that he was excited to see what the future holds for the pair.
"They're both still young and they have a lot to learn, but they have a lot of potential," he said. "I'm looking forward to seeing them develop and I'm sure they will have a bright future at Southampton."
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