FULL-BACK Welington admitted it was a "very special" feeling to make his Saints debut in the Premier League and thanked those who "always believed" in him.

The 23 year old started at left-back in Southampton's dramatic 2-1 win over Ipswich Town at Portman Road a month after arriving from Sao Paulo.

The Brazilian hardly put a foot wrong on debut, a late tackle on Axel Tuanzebe the only blotch on an otherwise very solid performance.

Welington won 10 of his 13 ground duels and drew two fouls in an enthralling battle against Ipswich forward Omari Hutchinson.

He was eventually replaced on 81 minutes having run out of energy - his last appearance before Saturday came in mid-October.

On Instagram, Welington wrote: "Today, the day was very special. Thank God, I had the opportunity to make my debut in the Premier League.

"The feeling was similar to the day I had the privilege of playing my first game as a professional.

"I would like to thank everyone who always believed in me. Let’s go Southampton."

The 23 year old has drawn heavy praise from manager Ivan Juric and Saints supporters on social media. Here's what some fans have said on X, formally known as Twitter...