The 'Brampton bagsman' taking Championship by storm
September 15, 2026 09:40
Southampton forward Cyle Larin has opened the season with one of the most prolific starts in the Championship, leading the division’s scoring charts and outpacing forwards across Europe’s top five leagues. He has seven league goals in seven matches this term and is averaging a goal every 73 minutes.
His scoring form has coincided with a dramatic move up the table for Saints: the club have climbed from bottom with minus-four points earlier in the campaign to sit inside the top eight on 10 points (they would be second on goal difference behind West Ham if not for the points deduction tied to the Spygate scandal).
KEY CONTEXT
- Larin joined Southampton on an initial loan from Mallorca in early 2026. He scored within three minutes of his Saints debut and finished the second half of last season with eight Championship goals from 16 appearances.
- The 31-year-old has played in multiple countries previously, including the United States, Turkey, Belgium, Spain and the Netherlands; his longest club spell was four and a half years at Besiktas.
- Internationally, Larin — Canada’s second‑all‑time top scorer — scored twice at the World Cup, including a late equaliser against Bosnia-Herzegovina, as Canada reached the last 16 before defeat to Morocco. He has been awarded a key to his hometown of Brampton and is set to collect it during the upcoming international break.
- At club level he benefits from attacking support: Finn Azaz and Leo Scienza have contributed a combined five goals and six assists so far this season. Manager Tonda Eckert has described Larin as “the best striker in the league,” and Larin also won the Championship Player of the Month award for August.