Bayer Leverkusen sporting director Simon Rolfes has heaped plaudits on Nathan Tella for his perseverance.
Tella arrived at the BayArena from Southampton last August.
The winger found himself behind Jonas Hoffman and Jeremie Frimpong in the pecking order earlier in the campaign.
The 24-year-old has however grown into one of the key players in the Die Werkself side.
Rolfes eulogised the Nigeria international for proving his worth despite a troubled start.
“Nathan Tella came late in the transfer window in August and he needed time to adapt. He was always ambitious to develop himself and also to give good energy to the team and towards the team,” Rolfes told TalkSport.
“Now he’s getting much more minutes than at the beginning of the season. That’s also a success story for himself and also for the team.”
Tella has scored 12 goals and provided seven assists in all competitions for Die Werkself this season.
Bundesliga: Bayer Leverkusen chief hails ‘ambitious player’ Tella
