A total of 12 academy graduates have featured in the first-team squad at some stage this season, with captain
Adam Lallana, Luke Shaw and James Ward-Prowse playing a pivotal role in the impressive start to the campaign.
While the quality of young players being produced in England is sometimes lamented, Pochettino believes there is actually plenty of ability in the youth ranks – clubs just need to give it a chance.
“There’s great talent in English football academies, as much as in Spain, Brazil or Argentina,” he said.
“It all comes down to individual decisions. Every club makes their own decisions.”
Saints’ decision has been to trust a number of those players, and Pochettino has already indicated that the emergence of the latest crop of youngsters will reduce any need to spend money when the transfer window opens in January.
“We have a lot of young players coming from the academy that are pushing really hard,” he said.
“They are making a case for being in the senior team. Players like Sam Gallagher and Harry Reed, very exciting players.
“So, in that sense, we are not worried about the depth of our squad because we have a lot of young players that guarantee us a very good future in the immediate future.
“We are covered in that sense, so we are not worried.”
Of course, clubs cannot simply throw any old bunch of youngsters at their first-team and expect success.
The players have to be talented enough in the first place.
In that sense, Saints can be grateful for the work of not just their current regime, but those who went before them and did such a good job of identifying and developing some of the players who are now thriving.
“It makes me very happy,” said Pochettino of the academy’s health. “I fully believe in the future of this academy.
“I’m also very happy and proud for the people that have been part of the academy all these years because all the work they have done now is actually being seen.”
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