Southampton defender Dejan Lovren has paid tribute to the club's travelling supporters following their 1-0 win over West Bromwich Albion.

The Croatia international, who signed from Lyon in the summer, made his debut in the centre of the Saints defence for the win.

The 24-year-old was delighted to make a winning start to his Southampton career, but reserved special praise for the fans, whom he described as being "like a 12th player".

"The atmosphere and the fans were amazing," Lovren told the club's official website. "They were behind us for 90 minutes and they were like a 12th player. They were unbelievable, and it's because of them that we won the game.

"I'm very proud of the team because we've made a very good start and got three points. It was not easy, but this is the Premier League. It's fantastic to play here.

"In the end, we were pretty good defensively, and that's everybody - not just the four in the back line. It was unbelievable."

Southampton are believed to have paid around £8.5m to secure Lovren's signature this summer.