..................will have come through the Saints Academy or play for the Saints. Who will those players be? Theo, Alex, Luke, Nathaniel and who else?
Both full-backs, and an all Saints/ex-Academy midfield of Lallana, Cork, AOC, Theo. Who knows, maybe we'll have produced a decent centre-back by then?
One can only hope but I'm yet to be convinced that he will crack the first team at any stage. Hopefully he turns out to be a good'n.
As would I, think he really goes under the radar and would love him to get some recognition as I think he's a top player. Unfortunately I think it will be even harder for him to get recognised than it will be for our English boys.
Not in five years. By then they'll have given up and have just been consumed by the growing monstrous mass of Southampton FC.
Really? I couldn't tell. Seriously, what other teams give as many opportunites to young players as we do?
Warning, large moan alert! I know its a great honour, but I almost resent England for these call ups, it can cause us trouble with possible mid season injuries & unwanted speculation. Great thats theres recognition, the players deserve it, but digging England out of this big hole that they have been digging for many years should be shared responsibility. I feel a bit sorry for the next batch, because in truth, they are just starting a new building process that shall bare no fruit for quite some time. I thought Roy woud have started the change, but as he showed during the last internation break, he's just a coward who will choose the big clubs players & not give others a chance, when they deserve it. So, excuse me for not getting excited, same old England always failing. (on every level) Now, wheres that cup of tea. Ahhhhh.
People always say this but Shaw's the only player who has come into the first-team from the academy and stayed there for any length of time since Lallana. Off the top of my head, Arsenal have Wilshere and Gibbs, United have Cleverly and Evans, Liverpool have Sterling and Wisdom, in fact it's difficult to think of a team who has fewer academy products in their team than we do. I'm not saying that we won't have lots in five years time, but let's be realistic, other clubs are doing lots to bring their own youngsters through as well. Who's to say that none of them are as good as ours? I'd be very surprised to see an England team with more than half made up of saints players.
Good point, forgot about Oxo. Bale and Theo were pre-Lallana though weren't they? I know he made his debut a while ago but he wasn't regularly in the first team until after they had left.
Sorry to be a party pooper, but Stephens came from Plymouth youth ranks...so we shouldn't take credit for him
Liverpool signed Sterling for around 5m a few years ago from QPR. I saw him play a friend of mine aged 15, he scored 5+ goals as a sub in the last 20 minutes.
