IAN Evatt reckons Dan Nlundulu could follow Ivan Toney’s path to striking fame.

The Southampton striker scored his first goal for Wanderers in Sunday’s 3-2 win at Bristol Rovers in his 13th appearance since signing on loan from St Mary’s.

Nlundulu could be up for grabs in the summer and after spending most of his career gaining experience with Lincoln City and Cheltenham Town, Evatt feels he has the tools to follow the Brentford and England front man.

“I think Dan has so many tools and I have said to him that I’d love to work with him on a full-time basis because I think there is a real player in there,” he said.

“This is a massive comparison but I see him as an Ivan Toney type. He can have a similar journey, he just needs coaching and some time. Given that I think we can make him into a real player.

“He has bought into us as a football club, he has enjoyed playing here, and we have seen flashes of what he can do.”

Having cut his teeth with Northampton and earning a big move to Newcastle United at an early age, Toney had time with Scunthorpe, Wigan, Barnsley and Shrewsbury on loan before starting the climb again with Peterborough and then Brentford.

He currently has 20 Premier League goals for the Bees this season, placing him behind Harry Kane and Erling Haaland in the race for the Golden Boot.

Evatt made eight changes for the final game of the season with one eye on the play-off semi-final, the first leg of which will be played on Saturday at the UniBol.

“We could preserve Dion, Kacha, Demps, Traff, Conor, all those players didn’t play a part and it does show you the strength of the squad,” he said.

“I think if we had not have got the result we wanted then people would have questioned the changes but, for me, it was about trusting the squad and making sure we are risk-averse for the future. That is what we have managed to do.”

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