The 'Brampton bagsman' taking Championship by storm

Cyle Larin has scored 17 goals for Southampton in 31 appearances [Shutterstock] Not many forwards in world football have had a better start to their season than Southampton's Cyle Larin. The Canada striker is the outright leading goalscorer in the Championship and has netted more than anyone in Europe's top five leagues. He may have played more games than the stars from the Premier League and La Liga, but his seven goals in seven league matches have caught the eye. His average of 73 minutes per goal is better than the 75 Kylian Mbappe is averaging for Real Madrid and Erling Haaland's 90 minutes per strike in the Premier League for Manchester City. Larin's exploits have even led Saints head coach Tonda Eckert to label him "the best striker in the league" - lofty praise in a division that also boasts Jarrod Bowen, Raul Jimenez, Mohamed Toure and the emerging Will Lankshear. But it is just not favouritism from his manager - neutral plaudits, including August's Championship player of the month award, are also landing at his feet. The 'Brampton bagsman' - a nickname coined from his Ontario hometown - has helped propel Eckert's team from bottom of the table on minus four points to inside the top eight with 10. Saints would be second, behind West Ham on goal difference, if not for the points deduction that came as punishment for the Spygate scandal. But after a nomadic career, that has taken in spells in the United States, Turkey, Belgium, Spain and the Netherlands, why has Larin been so effective for the south coast side? Cyle Larin's longest spell with one club was his four and a half years at Besiktas [BBC Sport] Since signing for Southampton on an initial loan from Mallorca in early 2026, Larin's first venture into English football has been an impactful one. The 31-year-old netted three minutes into his Saints debut last season, going on to finish with eight Championship goals in 16 games during the second half of the campaign. Following the fall-out from Spygate, he did not get the chance to help Southampton reach the Premier League but had to quickly turn his attention to the World Cup and representing his country as one of the host nations. He shone for Canada on the biggest of stages, scoring two goals - one a crucial late equaliser against Bosnia-Herzegovina - as Jesse Marsch's side reached the last 16 before losing to Morocco. Larin's contribution for Canada as their second all-time leading goalscorer has even earned him a key to his home city of Brampton , something he will collect during the upcoming international break. Back on English soil, Larin has been even more prolific for Saints than he was last term, scoring eight times in nine appearances across all competitions. However, the forward has been quick to point out it has been far from a solo effort. "It feels good but I don't think I can do this without my team-mates," he told BBC Radio Solent after scoring twice in the 4-1 win over Bristol City on Saturday. "They play such a big role in me being able to score and I have to give credit to the coach too, he's given me the role to play free up there and that's what I'm doing. "It's the beginning of the season and we have to keep working hard as we have a long way to go. You can't get too high after these games, you have to be level-headed." Larin has a point - in Finn Azaz and Leo Scienza, who boast five goals and six assists between them already this term, he has two of the division's best creators a striker could wish for. Eckert hails 'best in the league' Larin Does Larin need more help up top? Last season, he shared the minutes up front with Ross Stewart but with the Scot now at Swansea and Larin clearly the first choice at St Mary's, he has been taking advantage of more minutes on the pitch. Larin rarely completes 90 minutes with Eckert tending to prefer to withdraw him during the second half - and that makes his statistics even more impressive. He is averaging 1.23 goals per 90 minutes, scoring every 73 minutes with a goal conversion rate of 25% - seven goals from 28 shots. Only one other striker - Norwich's Mathias Kvistgaarden (1.27) - has a better goal per 90 minutes rate and only Bowen (29) has attempted more shots. "When you have quality footballers like Larin then you get goals," former Saints midfielder Jo Tessem said on the latest episode of BBC Radio Solent's Goin' Home. "Quality players like him step up when you need them and so far this season he's done that. "Eckert has said that Larin has been a lot fitter right now than when he arrived in January and that has made a difference so far." 'Low touch, high impact' - why Larin is so effective Cyle Larin joined Southampton after an unproductive loan spell with Feyenoord, where he scored just once in 15 appearances, mostly from the bench [Getty Images] By BBC Radio Solent's Harvey Gration: There's a simplicity to Cyle Larin's game - and understanding that has underpinned Southampton's strong start to the campaign. Rarely tasked with dropping into the build-up, he hangs on the opposition's last line, ready to make powerful runs into the channels. Tonda Eckert has asked fans to trust Saints when they build from the back, with Larin's movement a significant reason why. If his team-mates play through the press, he has the space to stretch defences and finish off swift counter attacks. Larin has stressed the help of his team-mates too. The immediacy of his runs creates the room for Finn Azaz between the lines and for the combinations between the pair that preceded Larin's opening goal against Bristol City, for example. Finding space in crowded situations, though - especially for a side who want to dominate possession - is equally crucial for a centre-forward. Larin's instinctive movement and clever body usage offer a potent mix of snappy shots off either foot, aerial threat and those tricks of the trade the 31-year-old has picked up over the years. A Larin trademark is drifting to the back-post, a magnet for the crossing quality of right-back James Bree. He is low touch, high impact – but that's just the system Eckert wants around his main man. Latest Southampton news and analysis