Russell Martin has explained that he believes James Bree is better than he believes and insists he works so hard that it is bound to come right for him.
James Bree has only made one appearance this season so far, coming in the 3-1 EFL Cup defeat to Gillingham in the first round.
He featured last weekend though, with a cameo display in the 3-1 win over Leeds, his first appearance in two months.
Bree joined the Saints last January after being signed by Nathan Jones with both departing the promotion bound Luton, possibly the wrong decision.
But Martin has given Bree hope of returning to form as he insists he is an option for selection.
Martin on Bree
Speaking to the Daily ECHO ahead of the Saints mid-week date with Stoke City, Martin has been discussing Bree.
“I don’t think any player finds it easy. What I would say is he is so in our thoughts, he can play at any point.
“The way he has trained, the way he is as a pro, the way he is as a character – he is one of the nicest, best teammates you can find.
“He is really unassuming and works so hard. He has real quality. Like a lot the the players, they’ve had such a tough period here.
“It takes some time for people to come back to life a little bit and pick their confidence back up. You also have to understand a totally new way of playing, that’s so different to what Breezy has known for however long.
“He is so resilient. You can see that from his career. He had a move early on which didn’t go to plan. Then he went out on loan and found a place that really suited him in Luton.
“He bounced back and earned himself a move here and has had another really difficult period. He is a better player than he actually believes. It’s up to us to bring that out of him.
“Like I am with a lot of players, I am really proud of Breezy for how he has stuck at it. He trains properly. That’s why he came into the game on Saturday and he will get plenty more minutes for us I’m sure.”