It is an undisputed fact that anyone with an interest in English football will be well aware of the talent that Saints are notably renowned for producing and developing throughout the years.
From Alan Shearer and Matt Le Tissier to Gareth Bale and Luke Shaw, the south coast club have remained keen to constantly breed the next generation of players from within.
However, within the last two seasons, only Matt Targett and Jake Hesketh have made full league debuts with many fans pointing out the potential lack in quality within the youth and development squads at this current moment. We seem to have had a barren spell of talent since the class including Luke Shaw, James-Ward-Prowse, Calum Chambers and Harrison Reed, despite them all being introduced to first team at relatively early ages.
It seems odd to be having this conversation after, just over a year ago, the Southampton under-21 team saw success in the Premier League Cup, despite a considerably average league performance. It was under a year later in which then-manager Ronald Koeman publicly stated his dissatisfaction with the array of youth talent available, despite the cup victory.
This was largely considered a strange move from a manager who was famed for his youth utilisation at Feyenoord. He proclaimed that the team had no first-team talent other than Matt Targett within the under-21 age group. A harsh statement, considering this was the cup winning side that featured top goalscorer and Premier League under-21 player of the month Ryan Seager, supposed ‘next big thing’ Harrison Reed, Jake Hesketh – a player with undoubted ability – and Sam Gallagher, who had already played 18 league games for the senior team.
Having to follow on from the developmental successes of Mauricio Pochettino and Nigel Adkins, Koeman’s inclusion of youth was even deemed inadequate by the club. In a press release after the Dutchman’s resignation, the club announced that they were looking for “a new management team who share both the club’s and our supporters’ values and ambitions.” Reading that, I couldn’t help but feel a slight dig at Koeman and his outspoken displeasure, despite the academy being one of the club’s main philosophies and values.
Claude Puel came into Saints with a grand reputation. In France, he was known as the man to have handed senior debuts to Eden Hazard, Eric Abidal, Hugo Lloris, Yohan Cabaye, Kevin Mirallas and Alexandre Lacazette as well as tutoring Thierry Henry and overseeing his adaptation into a forward. This hasn’t gone unnoticed by the youth at Southampton. The youth system appears to have been given a massive boost by Puel’s reputation and a new lease of life has been inherited. Players like Yan Valery, Callum Slattery and plenty others will be fancying their chances in the coming years.
Southampton fans now see their club in the hands of a man who took Nice to fourth in 2013 – their best finish since 1976 – whilst then equalling that fourth place finish in his final season; and he didn’t do this by churning out the cash and buying players for big money.
He achieved this by promoting an extremely impressive total of 16 players from their academy to the first team. Upon joining Saints, the Frenchman spoke of his desire to work with the young players.
I like to improve the young players… It’s important for the club and important for me at all the clubs I have managed.
I still believe that the Southampton academy has some future talents within its ranks. In the near future, I can see Jake Hesketh, Ryan Seager and Harrison Reed all become increasingly involved with the senior team, after each having their taste in the top flight already.
In the long-term, I am looking to under-18 talents; Dan N’Lundulu, Adam Parkes and Callum Slattery have all represented England, with the latter captaining his nation.
But for every success, there is a misjudged talent. Jake Sinclair and Omar Rowe are only a couple of the many, many players to have been highly rated but let go of before ever reaching the first team. Add to that players like Lloyd Isgrove and Jack Stephens who have been well overdue senior action and are still yet to staple their places into the squad.
After all, clubs go through spells, talent comes and goes at different times; nothing is consistent. Just look at the years between Lallana, Bale and Walcott coming through and then Shaw, Chambers and Ward-Prowse. There will undoubtedly be gaps and despite Southampton supposedly experiencing a mini-drought of talent we still have a bright future ahead.
Surely, whether we have another Bale in the ranks or not, we should still be proud and have faith in the club for what we have done and will continue to do so well at.
