Southampton midfielder praises young stars | OneFootball

Southampton’s academy has produced a number of fine players in recent years and things are no different since Ralph Hasenhüttl took over.

The likes of Michael Obafemi, Yan Valery and Kayne Ramsay have all been handed opportunities by the Austrian.

But it is midfielder Callum Slattery who caught the eye of one team-mate.

“He played against Burnley, which is one of the toughest teams, and you couldn’t tell it was his first Premier League match,” said an impressed Oriel Romeu.

“He is a strong lad, he has good endurance, he fights for the team and he is going to learn a lot of things, but he is on the right path.

“It’s good to see how the young players are doing a good job and you need to give the academy some credit.”

Southampton’s success under Nigel Adkins, Mauricio Pochettino and Ronald Koeman was heavily supplemented by academy graduates.

Now, after a couple of disappointing seasons, it looks like the club are looking to return to the model that had served them so well.

“I think if the young players are coming in, and are mixed with senior players, then it will be easier to get through the tough moments,” Romeu explained.

“They are going to make mistakes, but players who have played more games, also make mistakes and it’s about how they deal with it.

“But by playing and having those chances, they are going to deal with them much better.

“I think everyone around the team, if they see something that can help them, or even me, then I would like them to because that’s the way it has to work.”

Things have certainly improved at St Mary’s since Hasenhüttl’s arrival and his use of younger talents is just another reason to get excited.