Southampton acting chief executive Lee Hoos has praised midfielder Youssef Safri for his effort in rushing back from the African Nations Cup.Safri has been in Ghana representing Morocco, but they surprisingly crashed out on Monday after defeat to the host nation.

But rather than wallow in self pity, Safri has battled back to St Mary's, and appeared at training on Friday.

Hoos told the club's official website: "Youssef is a fantastic professional and has made a huge effort to get back here.

"Some players at other clubs have been known to go missing for several days on their way back from this tournament in the past.

"But it has literally been a trains, planes and automobiles job for Youssef who has had a real struggle to get back. It has been a tiring journey for him on top of three games in a week in the heat but he just wants to help the team."

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