Southampton star Maya Yoshida has stated that he is aware of the increase in competition following the return of Virgil van Dijk into the first team fold at the St. Mary's Stadium.

After going on strike in the summer, van Dijk made an appearance for Southampton from the bench during their 1-0 victory over Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park last weekend.

And Yoshida has admitted that the return of the Dutchman means that there is now increased competition for places in the Saints backline.

Yoshida said: "We all know he (Van Dijk) is one of the best players in the Premier League but realistically he has not played for eight months so it is not easy to come back and just play.

"He will need a little bit of time. We now have Hoedt and Jack Stephens so we have a lot of competition between players. There is no guarantee of anyone being in the team, including myself.

"We all have to ensure every game that we focus for the whole 90 minutes and keep fit. Then it is going to be a good benefit for the team as well."