Why Southampton and MK Dons may be surprised at what's happened to Spurs star | OneFootball

Kevin Danso spent time in the academy at MK Dons and endured a brief loan spell with Southampton before starring for Spurs

Kevin Danso won the Europa League with Tottenham Hotspur last season, having joined the club on loan from French side Lens in January. However, what people may not know is that this wasn't his first move to England, nor even his second.

Having been born in Austria, Kevin Danso and his family moved to England whilst he was still only six, and he would join the academy of MK Dons at Under-9's level.

He'd leave the club in 2014 without ever making a senior appearance for the Buckinghamshire outfit, joining German side FC Augsburg, where he would begin his professional football career.

He made his Bundesliga debut in March 2017 at 18 years and 165 days old, becoming the youngest-ever player to make their debut for the club, and just a week later, he signed his fresh four-year deal with the German side.

Despite his early promise, the Austrian failed to truly nail down a place in the starting eleven at Augsburg for the next two years, with a combination of injuries and competition from Jeffrey Gouweleeuw and Martin Hinteregger keeping him out of the side.

Despite his lack of game time, this did not deter then-Premier League side Southampton from signing Danso on loan with an option to buy in August 2019, with compatriot Ralph Hasenhuttl bringing him to the club.

MK Dons and Southampton never saw the best of Kevin Danso

Danso's time at St Mary's did not exactly go to plan, to say the least.

The Austrian's start to life on the South Coast could not have gotten off to a better start, playing the full ninety minutes in a 2-0 away victory at Brighton and Hove Albion on his debut, but unfortunately for him and Southampton fans, it was not a sign of things to come.

Danso would start the season playing as a left-back, and in only his second game for the club, he was sent off for two yellow cards in a 1-1 home draw to Man United, which was the beginning of his downfall.

Having missed the next game due to suspension against Sheffield United, Danso returned to the lineup at home to Bournemouth, but would be replaced at half-time by Ryan Bertrand in their 3-1 defeat.

He'd play just a combined eight minutes in the next three matches as he fell out of favour, but would be reintroduced to the starting eleven at home to Leicester City. What happened next effectively ended his Southampton career.

Southampton found themselves 5-0 down before the break, with Bertrand having been sent off in the 12th minute, and Danso was replaced at half-time in what was damage limitation for the Saints.

They'd end up losing 9-0 at home in what is the joint-biggest Premier League defeat of all time, and Danso would play just once more for the club before spending the rest of the season either out of the squad or warming the bench.

MK Dons never saw what Danso was capable of; Southampton saw him at his worst, and neither could have predicted the trajectory he would go on thereafter.

Kevin Danso has become a solid Premier League player since leaving MK Dons and Southampton

Danso spent the following season on loan with Fortuna Dusseldorf in the German second tier, where he found regular playing time, missing just two league games all season, followed by a move to Ligue 1 side Lens in August 2021.

The 27-year-old spent three-and-a-half years as an important player in the French side's back line, playing in the Champions League, Europa League and Europa Conference League during his stay in the North East of the country.

He'd join Ange Postecoglou's Spurs on loan in January 2025 and would make 15 appearances in all competitions as Spurs endured their lowest top-flight finish in 48 years, but would achieve European glory by lifting the Europa League.

Danso's move became permanent this summer for a fee of around £21 million, but under new boss Thomas Frank, he has so far been used sparingly, playing just 16 minutes of Premier League football so far this season.

Now a fully-fledged regular in the Austrian national team and a solid Premier League player, fans of Southampton and MK Dons must be scratching their heads at Danso's career after spells with both of them.