Southampton are struggling; the established Premier League outfit teeters on the periphery of preservation in the top flight and could face a detrimental relegation to cast an ominous shadow over the maiden period of new owners Sport Republic's era at the south coast club.

Indeed, the Saints languish in 20th place in the division, and given the concerning collapse that has resulted in the dismissal of two permanent managers in Ralph Hasenhuttl and Nathan Jones already this term, interim boss Ruben Selles will be seeking a fresh dimension to bolster his team's ranks ahead of the crucial business end of the season.

And despite clinching a momentous victory over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in the previous league outing, Southampton are still three points adrift from safety and face a battle to remain in the league.

Regardless of whether they do maintain status, there is one promising prospect who will be eagerly awaiting a shot at the first-team, and next season, if Selles is still in charge, he must indeed consider unleashing academy prospect Thierry Small, who cancelled his two-year scholarship at Everton in 2021 to join the fold at Staplewood.

Who is Thierry Small?

The 18-year-old left-back is held in high regard and it was no doubt a big blow to Toffees owner Farhad Moshiri's plans to see such a promising prodigy slip away during his formative years.

Impressing for Saints' development squad, scoring five goals and supplying three assists from 22 matches for the B team, Small was granted a loan move to Scottish Premiership outfit St. Mirren last month, where he has so far played four matches, registered an assist and made 1.3 tackles per outing.

Hailed as "fantastic" by former Southampton boss Ralph Hasenhuttl, there is a weight of expectation over the youngster's future, with his ceiling certainly high, and as he continues to gain valuable experience he will be hoping for a shot at the Southampton first-team next season.

If faith is entrusted in him, he could even become the south coast outfit's rightful Ryan Bertrand heir, with the former Champions League winner playing 240 matches for the Hampshire-based team, scoring eight goals and registering 20 assists from the left-hand side.

With the Secret Scout stating that the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea were warded off to clinch his signature in 2021, it might just be that Small grows into a defender of Bertrand's standing, perhaps even surpassing the 33-year-old's skills and forging a career of the utmost standing.

While Perraurd has been a steady presence for Saints, Bertrand will be fondly remembered as a stalwart for the club after playing many years on the south coast, pivotal in ensuring Premier League preservation was firmly intact with each passing season.

And while Southampton will have to see out the season without Small's inclusion, given the platform to flourish over the coming years, there is no reason why the outfit won't nurture his burgeoning skill set and develop him into a first-rate full-back over the coming years.