Eddie Howe has heaped praise on Allan Saint-Maximin after his sparkling display against West Ham.
It was a night which suggested the player is close to getting back to his very best after a season of injury woe with a hamstring problem. Saint-Maximin set up the opener at the London Stadium and came close to getting his own name on the scoresheet in the second half.
Howe said: “I think Maxi has been very focused for a while now. "I think he’s trained very well, first and foremost, and that’s always the first aspect of the game that I judge because, for me, that then leads to the performance.
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"He’s trained well, he’s been focused and I think he’s really keen for the team to do well. He’s an integral part of our team because he’s slightly different – no one can do what Maxi does. He’s very much an individual, but he’s performing well in a team structure"
When asked what the message to the French star was now he is fit again, and with competition extremely strong going into the run-in. Howe replied: “I think the message to him is that we just want to see the best Maxi possible. Now, there’s loads of things that go into making that possible.
"Firstly, the responsibility always lies with the player – I’ve said that so many times when players have improved and developed into having really good seasons for us, they deserve all the credit. So, the responsibility is with him. He’s really focused on doing well at the moment, and it’s great to see."
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