There’s been a long list of players come through the Premiership but of recent Southampton has had the cream of the crop.
In the past outfits such as Leeds United and West Ham United have acted as ‘feeder clubs’ but now the Saints are the Premier League’s new young talent bearers.
As a kid my dad would love to watch Southampton play for one man in particular, Matt Le Tissier. In those days I only looked to players in the big teams. I never thought about Southampton, yet my dad was always going on about Le Tissier’s technique and how much tournament football he’d missed out on with the England squad.
This must have been his favourite player. He rated him. A lot. So much so that he even had the shirt but I guess that wasn’t much of a barometer because over the years he’s also had Keith Gillespie on a Newcastle shirt and Darren Huckerby on a Coventry City one. Weird.
Fast-forward to present day and Southampton are more prominent than ever, for a number of reasons. In recent years Southampton’s impact on the Premier League has grown and grown to the point where some of the league’s most influential players have graduated from their academy.
Of course everyone would think Gareth Bale, a product of their youth system, who went on to be one of the biggest stars in world football. He is for sure a prime example seeing as he’s the world’s most expensive footballer.
Bale’s transition from Southampton left back to Tottenham Hotspur midfielder to then part of a formidable Champions League winning attack with Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid is a testament to the academy.
Arsenal has reaped the benefits more than anyone though. Theo Walcott, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and most recently Calum Chambers all made the transition from the academy to earning caps for England.
Then you have Jay Rodriguez, Morgan Schneiderlin and Adam Lallana who all flourished last season under then manager Mauricio Pochettino – with the latter making a big money transfer to Liverpool FC.
With their recent dismantling, an exodus seeing out the likes of former chairman Nicola Cortese, Pochettino, Luke Shaw, Dejan Lovren and co, you feared the worst.
Ronald Koeman managed to prevent Morgan Schneiderlin walking out on the club during that mass exodus and Jay Rodriguez‘s long-term injury halted any plans he had of an exit. So many in demand players, a remarkable feat for a club who just a couple seasons ago were in the League One.
Under Koeman however so far they seemed to steady the ship with a fine crop of young talent still at their disposal. I see this being a massive season for James Ward-Prowse who will have free reign now with much more first team football. He is one playmaker sure to earn an England call up soon enough with the extra exposure.
Southampton deserves much more respect for their contribution to the league and to football as a whole. Many of their players have blessed us with some memorable performances whilst at and post St Mary's.
Hopefully the Saints will have a strong campaign this season. If they do let’s hope Brendan Rodgers won’t be back snooping next season to poach Nathaniel Clyne.