JOSH Sims described his season as “strange” after finding himself back at Saints. 

The 22-year-old had joined Reading on a season-long loan last summer, only for the Championship club to cut the deal short in January.

It was then decided Sims would stay on the south coast which eventually led to manager Ralph Hasenhuttl labelling the academy lad as his “biggest surprise”.

“It’s good for me that he [Hasehuttl] trusts me and picks me to play,” admitted Sims.

“I have got to keep impressing him in training and every time I’m picked, I need to do the best I can.

“It’s been a strange season because I went out on loan and it didn’t really work out for me for various reasons.

“But coming back in January with the new manager has been like a new lease of life for me.

“He’s really helped me since I came back. It was a decision, not just from him, but from other staff and myself.

“I saw the way he wants to set up the team and the way that he plays, and I thought it would suit me.

“I wanted to stay around and impress him in training which is what I’ve done.”

Sims made his Saints return when he came off the bench against Tottenham Hotspur during the 2-1 win at St Mary’s, making an immediate impact with his pace down the wing.

He had to wait until the victory over Wolves for his first start before being selected again for the trip to Newcastle.

However, he was hauled off at half time, following an abject first 45 minutes from Hasenhuttl’s side.

Sims added: “Newcastle was a tough game, but it was a good learning experience for me.

“I have got to learn from every game I play up until the end of the season, but it was good I came on against Watford.

“Coming on in a game like that is always hard, but I am always learning every time I come on the pitch.”

Having moved six points clear of the relegation zone, with only three games left, Sims thinks it’s time Saints started looking up the table.

And due to their being an extra £2 million per place at stake, Sims is backing the St Mary’s outfit to beat Bournemouth tomorrow.

“It’s a big enough gap that we feel comfortable now but to be mathematically safe is what we want,” he continued.

“To pick up the three points, which we all believe we can, means that we are all looking forward to this game.

“Between now and the end of the season, we just want to pick up as many points as possible and we believe that we can.

“We are not just fighting to stay up now, we are fighting to pick up a lot of points and push up the table because I feel like we all believe we can.”