Southampton defender Jack Stephens has expressed his desire to keep the current squad together as a host of Saints players approach tipping points in their contracts.
Stephens, whose deal expires in the summer of 2022, told Hampshire Live of his hopes to keep the momentum within the squad by keeping their best players and, in particular, the ‘fantastic’ Ryan Bertrand.
The 26-year-old said: ”Ryan (Bertrand) is a fantastic footballer and I think it goes under the radar how good he is. Not many people talk about the impact he has on this team, he is just so laid back and that can be looked upon in a negative way but to play alongside him, against Liverpool he was outstanding.”
In that game, Bertrand helped the Saints to a clean sheet in a 1-0 win, winning all three of his ground duels and making five clearances in what was a backs-to-the-wall defensive effort at times.
The former Chelsea man is the most pressing contract problem which needs resolving amongst Ralph Hasenhuttl’s squad as his deal expires this summer.
Stephens wants to keep the cohesion at St Mary’s, saying: “We all love the squad and the group that we have here. We have good relationships and the more that players commit their future to the club the better it is for everyone.”
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There’s no doubt that, if this positive period in Southampton’s existence is going to be capitalised upon, they need to tie down their most important players as soon as possible.
At 31. Bertrand may be in the more advanced years of his career, but his influence has shown no sign of waning and, as such, he certainly deserves to stay at the club beyond the end of this season.
