Gavin Bazunu deserves to be a Premier League goalkeeper.
That’s the view of Shamrock Rovers director of football Stephen McPhail, who has welcomed the former Hoops wonderkid’s €14m move from Manchester City to Southampton.
The switch will earn the Hoops another €2m on top of the near €1.5m they have banked already from the initial fee and an international appearance clause.
McPhail also revealed that Bazunu was training at Rovers ahead of Friday’s transfer - and that he was still talking tactics with the management team at the League of Ireland champions.
“It's great, he's a great kid,” he said of the move. “He has been here since he was a baby. As a club he has done wonders for us.
“It's great to see him, he's in the league that he deserves to be in, signing for Southampton. I wish him well, he's a great kid.”
Bazunu flew to Southampton during the week to finalise his transfer.
Before that, however, he was working on his fitness in familiar surroundings.
He made six first-team appearances for Rovers - including two in the Europa League - at the age of 16, before he was snapped up by Manchester City.
McPhail continued: “He’s very level headed, he doesn’t get carried away and he’s not into living a mad lifestyle.
“He’s really focused on trying to be the best keeper that he can be. That’s a massive attribute.
“He’s been in with us nearly all week. He was in the training ground on Monday and Tuesday doing his gym work. In with our lads.
“He’s great to have around. Even for our academy kids. He’s been up to games and spoke to a lot of the teams. He’s just a smashing kid.
“He’s very, very interested [in what’s happening at Rovers]. He still comes into our office and questions tactics, the team.
“He is just a kid who really, really wants to know and be involved.
“He wants to be inquisitive. He’s a great kid and really does think about the game.”
McPhail has backed Bazunu to flourish at Southampton.
“I can only see good things for Gavin, once he stays fit and keeps focused,” he said.
“He’s going in to compete with another really good keeper [Alex McCarthy].
“You don’t pay that sort of money and think he’s… I don’t know what the manager has spoken about with him, I’m sure he’s ready to go there and play and compete.
“From day one in pre-season it’s important that he goes and competes with the other keeper and tries to get in the first-team.”
McPhail continued: “No one has seen him at that level. We’ve seen him at international level and he’s very, very comfortable. I believe he can play Premier League.
“I don’t think we should be putting any pressure on him. Let him work hard, go there for pre-season and try to get into the team.
“Obviously we’re crying out for players from our country to be playing Premier League football, we don’t have enough of them.
“It’s great that he has an opportunity to go and do that.”
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