TNS' Ryan Brobbel earns a salute following his Euro strike
The New Saints boss Anthony Limbrick has heaped praise on ‘big stage player’ Ryan Brobbel after his first ever Champions League goal.
The 29-year-old netted the only goal as TNS beat Linfield 1-0 in the first leg of the competition’s first qualifying round.
Brobbel, who has been with the club since 2016, has had to overcome a pre-season injury to get fit but Limbrick is delighted with the start he has made.
“Ryan Brobbel is just such a good player. He had a little injury in pre-season and has just come back, he showed his quality,” he said.
“Get him in and around those areas, around the box and I really fancy him to score.
“He’s just got such quality, we see it every day in training, he delivers it. For him to be able to deliver it on a big stage – he’s a big stage player.
“He hasn’t trained and played as much as he’d have liked, his pre-season was interrupted with a slight injury, and he was disappointed with that.
“But he worked hard to get back and the quality he showed was outstanding.”
The manager has also been pleased with goalkeeper Connor Roberts and the condition he returned to pre-season in.
He added: “I’m so pleased for Connor Roberts. He had a really good end to the season with the Welsh Cup final, he didn’t have as many minutes as he would’ve liked.
“I must say he’s come back in this season and been razor sharp. He’s such a good character with a good attitude. He was excellent with his distribution and saves he made.”
