Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl has claimed that young midfielder Will Smallbone is the future of the club.
Hasenhuttl has praised Smallbone for his performance against Aston Villa, after he made his debut and played 80 minutes in the 2-0 win over the newly-promoted side.
Speaking to the Daily Echo, Hasenhuttl said:
He was very brave on the ball, he showed a few goal moves and had a big chance for scoring when his shot was deflected and hit the post.
It would have been fantastic if he had immediately a goal.
But he’s the future and this is the way of our future.
Hasenhuttl’s comments show a huge degree of faith in Smallbone and the potential that he has. The midfielder is only 20, but Hasenhuttl appears confident that he will be a key player for the club in the coming years.
Smallbone looked composed on the ball and recycled possession well against Villa. He picked up good positions to receive the ball and play it to a teammate to progress an attack or simply retain possession and starve Villa of the ball.
This helped Southampton to control the game and showed that he has maturity beyond his years, as he was able to help dictate the play and stop Villa from being able to impose themselves on the match.
It will be interesting to see how much game time Smallbone is given between now and the end of the season, with James Ward-Prowse potentially moving back into central midfield after covering at right-back for Kyle Walker-Peters.
If Hojbjerg, who has been linked with Tottenham, leaves then Smallbone could find himself with the chance of becoming a starter next season whcih will be great for the club’s academy, who’ll have produced yet another regular first-team player.
