Manchester City boss Mark Hughes is thrilled to see Martin Petrov fit and firing.

After his goal scoring performance against West Ham, Hughes told City's website: "The great thing about the evening from my point of view is that Martin Petrov came in and made a real impression. That shows what a great professional he is.

"He's had to be patient and bide his time but he trains correctly and works exceptionally hard every day. he knows you have to be in the right physical state to make a positive impact."

Petrov gleefully pointed to his shirt name and number as he celebrated near the bench, but Hughes said with a smile: "He does that every time he scores - he does it to the crowd as well!

"He had a really positive influence and that's what we need - guys who, when they get an opportunity, are ready to perform, not sitting in the stands feeling sorry for themselves.

"We need that quality through the squad - when somebody isn't available, we need somebody else to come in and make an impact like that."

 
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