Bayern loan player Daniel Peretz is finally allowed to play in Southampton, there is no doubt about that after the first few days. Now the club has also loaned out its previous first-choice goalkeeper to a rival.
Whether he himself was the lucky charm remains to be seen. The fact is, however, that Southampton FC ended their losing streak in the very first game of new signing Daniel Peretz. The FC Bayern loan player stood between the posts on Saturday, just two days after signing, in the FA Cup opening victory over third-division Doncaster Rovers – and impressed.
“I think he played an excellent game. It was a promising start,” praised coach Tonda Eckert, who had reportedly been looking for a new goalkeeper. “I don’t think it’s easy to come in after only a few training sessions with your new teammates. You have to learn their names and certain defensive strategies.”
Peretz: “It paid off today”
After the Saints took a 3-0 lead at halftime, the hosts surprisingly closed the gap to 2-3 in the 59th minute, but two saves by Peretz, among others, prevented them from scoring again. The 25-year-old Israeli international found his debut “emotional.” He has already played half as many competitive games as he did for Hamburger SV, to whom he was loaned in the summer.
“I think what helped me a lot in the past few months was just giving my all every day, and I knew that it would pay off at some point,” Peretz reflected on the Saints’ website. “Today it paid off.”
The previous number 1 is now fighting with Stoke for the playoffs
His quick debut was not the only indication that he is planned to be the new number 1. On Tuesday, the Premier League relegation team loaned out Gavin Bazunu, the previous regular goalkeeper, who was no longer even in the squad at Doncaster. Unusually, Bazunu will spend the rest of the season at Stoke City, which, like Southampton, is fighting for a playoff spot in the Championship and is currently eighth in the table with seven points more than Southampton. Stoke’s regular goalkeeper Viktor Johansson is out for the long term.
On Saturday (4 p.m.), after six games without a win, the Saints want to get back on track in the league, which Eckert’s team had left shortly after his permanent signing – which was well deserved in view of the previous results. Peretz will certainly be able to gain some playing experience right away. “We have a great group of guys,” he says. “It wasn’t easy to settle in so quickly and have my first game after only two days, but there’s nothing better than just jumping in at the deep end.”