Ghana international, Jordan Ayew, has lauded his manager, Patrick Vieira, for his support after ending his goal drought against Southampton.
The Crystal Palace forward had gone 43 games without scoring a goal for the club. Ayew last scored against Leeds United in 2020 in November.
However, in their Premier League game against Southampton at the Selhurst Park, the Ghana forward scored on the 65th minute from a tight angle to secure a point for his side.
Speaking after the game, the 30-year-old said he was pleased to score for others, but particularly for Vieira.
“It’s a relief I think,” he told the BBC post-match. “I knew it would come at some point because I’ve been working really hard for [a long] time. I was happy for myself personally – for my confidence, it is important – for my family, friends, people who have been supportive, and especially the manager, who has been really supportive.
“Since the first day the manager came in he told me he has big faith in me and I should keep on working hard and it will come. It may take long but at some point, it will pay off and today it paid off. We’re all glad… Today there were negatives and positives but I think it was a good result.”
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Continuing to focus on the goal, Ayew said he has experienced some misfortune at times but today felt luck was on his side.
He continued, saying: “Sometimes in football, I’ve been really, really unlucky and think today luck was on my side. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t work. It’s just football. I control what I can control and the things I can’t control I don’t focus on. I just focus on what I can control. Today it went my way.
“I hope [I continue to score], I hope so. But the most important thing for me is to make sure I work hard for the team.”
Finally, the forward turned his attention to the game as a whole, saying:
“I don’t know the reason why we played really, really well and at some points, we just stopped playing. Sometimes we were sucking in the pressure and conceded two goals in five minutes.
“In the dressing room we made some corrections and went back for the second half with a bit more desire, more high up the pitch and that allowed us an equaliser.”
Ayew has now taken his overall goal tally in the Premier League to 27, the most by a Ghanaian player.
He also has the highest number of assists for a Ghanaian player in the Premier League with 13.