Southampton FC: Russell Martin makes new Tyler Dibling reveal amid Max Dowman hype | OneFootball

Russell Martin has revealed why Tyler Dibling had a lack of game time for Southampton in the 2023/24 Championship season

Tyler Dibling established a reputation as one of the brightest youngsters in the Premier League when he was a shining light in an otherwise woeful Southampton side last term.

The 20-year-old couldn't stop the Saints from suffering relegation from the Championship, but he did enough to earn a move to Everton last summer.

Meanwhile, youthful prospects have become a particularly hot topic in the footballing stratosphere in recent days, as 16-year-old Max Dowman became the Premier League's youngest ever goalscorer when Arsenal strengthened their grip on the Premier League title race with a 2-0 win over the Toffees on Saturday.

Fellow teenager Rio Ngumoha was also a bright spark in his maiden top-flight start for an otherwise poor Liverpool side who were held to a 1-1 draw by relegation-threatened Tottenham at Anfield on Sunday.

Russell Martin makes fresh Tyler Dibling admission following Southampton developments

Dibling was a key asset for Southampton last term, notching four goals and two assists in 38 appearances across all competitions, including 20 Premier League starts.

However, the winger made just one cameo Championship appearance when the Saints won promotion from the second tier via the play-offs following a largely successful 2023/24 campaign.

Dibling's former Southampton boss Russell Martin appeared on BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club on 16 March, and had been discussing Dowman with the likes of ex-Norwich City forward Chris Sutton.

Martin told the programme: "We had it (a similar scenario to Dowman at Arsenal) with Tyler Dibling at Southampton. For the first year I was there, we were told he’s nearly ready.

"He’s physically fantastic, he’s an excellent player, so he trained with us pretty much every day. Sam Amo, who’s at Strasbourg now, the same. Jayden Meghoma, who I actually took to Rangers with me.

"I took him to train. They were 16, all of them. It is about the right time. Sam Amo actually played some games for us early on and did really well.

"Then it’s about the depth in the squad, it’s about the players. So much of it is circumstantial. For us with Tyler it was, can he play for a team that needs to win to get promoted?

"So we played him in the cup games, because we felt the options we had for the league games. But it was always with the plan of next year, Tyler’s going to be one of the main people. Those people have to trust you."

Southampton will be surprised by Tyler Dibling's situation at Everton

Southampton recorded the Premier League's second-worst points tally last term, earning 12 points in 38 games, picking up just two wins in the process.

However, Dibling impressed the nation with his direct dribbling style and his obvious confidence despite playing for such a poor team.

Therefore, Saints would have expected Dibling to excel after signing for Everton, as the Toffees have a much higher quality squad than the one the Hampshire club had at their disposal last term.

However, the England Under-21 international has made just four Premier League starts for the Merseyside outfit, failing to make the sort of impact he would have liked.