Nigeria head coach Gernot Rohr has backed Samuel Kalu to rediscover his best form for club and country.
Kalu struggled to get near his best for French club Girondis Bordeaux last season.
The pacy winger managed just one goal and two assists in 20 league appearances for Les Girondis.
He fell out with former manager Paulo Sousa, who criticised him for his lack of effort in training.
The former KAA Gent of Belgium player was also linked with a number of clubs during the winter transfer window.
The 23-year-old is now enjoying a new lease of life under Jean-Louis Gasset
Kalu scored his first goal of the season in Bordeaux’s 2-1 away loss to Lens last weekend.
“There’s this Kalu who was playing very, very well with me and Nigeria, who lost a bit of confidence last season. It was not going very well with the staff from the previous season,” Rohr told girondis4ver.com.
”There, he was trying to find a little of his means, both physical and moral. It is resurfacing. With the new staff, he will have more possibilities to play in his real position, which is the position of a pure winger, dribbler, centralizer, who can even score goals as he did with us.