Will Still shares ‘quality’ Damion Downs verdict after £7m star’s stunning Southampton impact

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As debuts go, Southampton’s new centre-forward Damion Downs certainly made the most positive of impressions on Will Still during Saturday’s 2-1 friendly defeat to Espanyol.

After Lawrence Shankland signed a new deal at Hearts and Panathinaikos refused to budge on Fotis Ioannidis’ price-tag, the Saints turned to an American international who fired Cologne to the German second-tier title last season.

Championship clubs have tended to prioritise physical, mobile number nines this summer.

And Damion Downs, 6ft 4ins tall but adaptable enough to play all across the frontline, is another in that mould.

Southampton submitted a £7 million bid for Downs at the end of June. That was enough to twist Cologne’s arm, while Downs later admitted that Mauricio Pochettino encouraged him to join a club looking to make an immediate return to the Premier League.

Will Still, one of Pochettino’s St Mary’s successors, took charge of the Saints for the first time on Saturday. Downs’ well-taken debut goal was the standout moment of an outing in which the exit-linked Aaron Ramsdale, Matheus Fernandes and Shea Charles were started alongside summer recruit Joshua Quarshie.

Will Still impressed as Damion Downs scores on Southampton debut vs Espanyol

Introduced when the game was still goalless, Downs raced onto a clever through ball from Jay Robinson before fizzing an emphatic strike into the far top corner.

Still’s overarching feeling was one of frustration, especially with the controversial penalty given against Jack Stephens. Espanyol captain Javi Puado doubled his tally from the spot before Downs’ late consolation.

Yet, the ‘quality and personality’ which made Downs such a fan favourite at Cologne was already in evidence.

“My reflections were that showed exactly where we still need to improve, where we probably still need to strengthen as well,” Still said, hoping for more arrivals with only Downs and Quarshie through the door as things stand.

“There are positives. Damion came on and got his first goal, the first bunch of players have got 90 minutes in their legs, which is what we wanted, and we’ve finished off a big week of work and intensity to get where we want to get to.

“We don’t have to be ready right now, and we knew we weren’t going to be. I think it just shows where and what we still need to do.

“[Downs’ goal] is a great finish, a great move. We could only play him for 15, 20 minutes, so that’s what we did,” the manager added.

“We pushed him a bit further, but we know he’s got quality. That’s why he’s here. And we want to surround that with a bit more quality and a bit more personality there, and I think that’s what showed today.”

Still ‘really positive’ as new Championship season looms for Saints

Southampton will face local rivals Brighton and Hove Albion in another so-called ‘friendly’ clash on August 2nd before taking on Wrexham in their Championship opener.

“All defeats are annoying, especially in the manner of the second goal, but it’s not important right now,” former RC Lens coach Still adds.

“The main objective is to be ready when we need to be ready, and to keep working on the things we need to work on, because as a whole the week has been really positive.”

Downs is one of a host of centre-forwards who will be battling for a place in Still’s first-team next term.

Ross Stewart, Adam Armstrong, Ben Brereton Diaz and Cameron Archer have all proven themselves to be more than capable goalscorers at Championship level in the recent past.