Sunday 20 August 2017 20:54, UK
Mark Hughes thinks Jese Rodriguez will light up the Premier League after his debut goal helped Stoke to a 1-0 victory over Arsenal.
The former Real Madrid forward, signed by Stoke on a season-long loan from Paris Saint-Germain earlier this week, had already made a good impression before producing his composed, slotted finish past Petr Cech.
"I think from the first few moments everybody understood why we wanted to bring him here," Hughes said.
"I think everybody is going to enjoy watching him and that he'll light the Premier League up as the season progresses.
"He can play right across the front three or four. That versatility and flexibility is perfect.
"He hadn't trained all week the week before this one, and trained three days this week, so it was a little bit of a risk [to put him straight in the starting line-up].
"I thought he scored a great, finisher's goal - that of a top player in my opinion."
And Hughes admitted that his decision to hand the 24-year-old his debut just three days after signing for the Potters was a gamble.
"It was a gamble, there is no doubt about that because he has only had two days training with us," Hughes added.
"I just thought that given what I had seen from him on the training pitches, and the fact that he was desperate to be involved and make an impression, it was a gamble worth taking.
"Thankfully, it paid off."
Stoke started the campaign in disappointing fashion last weekend with a 1-0 loss at Everton and Hughes' side received criticism from some sections of the media following the opening day defeat.
However, Hughes was delighted to answer those critics in the best possible way - victory over Arsenal.
"Maybe because of the fixtures we are facing during the early stages of the season, some people saw thought we would be an easy target," the Welshman said.
"They asked questions of our ambition, myself as a manager and the players, and for me, that has been hugely unfair.
"Our view is that if you are stronger at the end of the window than you were at the start then it is a case of job well done, and in my view we most definitely are.
"There are still two weeks of the window left open too, so we are very pleased with where we are at right now, and we feel that we can go on and have a really successful season."
