Southampton midfielder Will Smallbone has admitted that he did not know he was playing against Aston Villa until the day of the game.
Smallbone says that he had a feeling he might be starting, but was officially told it was the case in the morning on Saturday – with kick-off only a few hours away.
The academy product played 80 minutes as Southampton beat Aston Villa 2-0 in the Premier League.
Speaking to the Daily Echo, Smallbone said:
I found out that I was playing Saturday morning, although I had a little inkling that I might start on Friday.
I just tried to stay calm and ready because this is something I’ve always wanted to do.
As soon as I found out that I was playing I told my parents but luckily they were already coming anyway. They were buzzing to be here to witness it.
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It is very interesting that Ralph Hasenhuttl decided to wait until the morning of the game to tell Smallbone that he would be starting. James Ward-Prowse moved to right-back, opening a spot in midfield alongside Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg but experienced Spaniard Oriol Romeu could have been picked by the Austrian.
Instead, Smallbone got the nod and produced an impressive performance in midfield, with a 72 per cent pass success rate. He looked assured on the ball and was constantly moving into positions where he could collect the ball and progress the play. Smallbone and Hojbjerg were buzzing about the pitch constantly looking to either win the ball back or take a pass from a teammate and keep the play moving.
Telling Smallbone on the day of the game meant that he did not go to bed on Friday night anxious or worried about making his Premier League debut. Had he been told on Friday, it could have been hard for him to get a good night’s sleep – potentially disrupting his preparation for the game and affecting his performance.
This could prove to be excellent management from Hasenhuttl if that was indeed his thinking behind the decision, as Smallbone was able to go straight into the match off the back of the excitement of being told he was starting just hours earlier.
