England players - Saints academy

[Doctoroncall]

I wonder when we'll have the majority of an England team that has come through the Saints academy?

 

Possible current England selections: Shaw, Lallana, Walcott and Oxo

 

Perhaps we'll see the potential breakthrough of Chambers and Ward-Prowse over the next few seasons.

 

Who else could make it over the next few years?

 

 

A great statement and should be seen as the number one choice for the best English (and other home countries) youngsters to come to for success so the club should have the best pick.

[CityRanger]

Chambers will likely be in the next squad. He'll be fast-tracked now he's at Champs League club, the press already linking him to full England squad.

[trousers]

Clyne

 

edit: ignore me....not an academy product. Too early in the morning for this thinking malarkey....

 

Let's take a punt at Harry Reed instead....

[Charlie Wayman]

Isn't this a bit academic as none of the above wanted to play for Saints & England. As I've said before, our Academy is now like a top University where the best youngsters will want to be to launch their careers but most will have no allegiance whatsoever to SFC beyond that, bit like going to Oxford a centre of excellence that draws its intake from all over the world but where virtually every graduate will leave and go elsewhere for jobs. We need to accept that and stop kidding ourselves. Likely we will only manage to hang on to the average ones as this will be the only place they will be given game time.

 

Maybe we need a clause in there somewhere that ties academy graduates to us for 3 years or is that illegal... but it shouldn't be!

[Saint_clark]

Maybe we need a clause in there somewhere that ties academy graduates to us for 3 years or is that illegal... but it shouldn't be!

 

There is something like that. It's called a contract. Unfortunately it doesn't work the same way in football as it does in the real world.

[KingdomCome]

Could be a majority of the team at some point, not a starting 11 though.

 

Shaw and Chambers will likely be starting in a few years. I don't see the others as starters. I'm trying to work out if it's just bitterness on my part or not, but I don't think lallana will do half as well at liverpool as he has up to this point...he'll probably still get in the england squad though.

I'm a bit torn with JWP. I hope he gets to play for the national side if that's what he wants to do, but doing so will mean he is likely to be off.

 

It would be an endorsement of the academy if it were to happen, but given the quality of the england team, not a ringing one.

[Coxford_lou]

 

Maybe we need a clause in there somewhere that ties academy graduates to us for 3 years or is that illegal... but it shouldn't be!

 

We're all ****ed off now about the player departures, but I'll always still feel proud that Southampton developed those players. That's our club's achievement and it's what makes us unique, and no one can take that away from us (not even the Daily Mail). Which is why I couldn't help myself but follow Chambers game last night and be interested in his progress.