On Friday, Southampton Under-18 midfielder Callum Slattery signed a new 3-year contract with the club. Could this be the year that he breaks through into the first team?
Over the past few years a steady stream of Southampton graduates have experienced breakthrough seasons, securing significant game time with the senior squad.
From James Ward-Prowse in the 2013/14 season, through to Callum Chambers, Matt Targett, Luke Shaw, Jack Stephens and Josh Sims, fans have become used to the perennial buzz of an exciting new prospect.
The club prides itself of the nurturing and development of young players, and the quality of the facilities, training and players at the Academy are widely renowned.
So could this be the season when Callum Slattery has his chance to capture the imaginations of the Saints faithful?
Who is Callum Slattery?
Yet to make a first team appearance, the 18-year-old box-to-box midfielder is one of the Academy’s most exciting prospects. And although he hasn’t had his chance at senior level yet, he is already on the radar of some top clubs.
As far back as March 2015 both Arsenal and Bayern Munich were reportedly interested in him. But Slattery signed a professional deal in June of that year, committing to his continued development with the Saints.
He has been with the club since the age of eight, having joined from the Chelsea academy, and has very much been brought up in the ‘Southampton Way’. He has excelled at every level on his way through the Southampton ranks, and last year made the significant jump to the under-23 team.
As well as running out for the under-18’s on 12 occasions, last season he made 17 appearances for the under-23’s in all competitions. Most memorable was his debut in the EFL Cup, where scored a goal and made an assist in a 4-0 win over League 2’s Crawley Town.
Slattery was also recently a member of the England Under-20 squad that won the Toulon Tournament. He made three appearances in the competition, stepping up to score a penalty in the final shoot-out victory over the Ivory Coast.
What are his chances?
Slattery certainly has competition in the heart of the Saints midfield. Romeu, Davis, Højbjerg, Clasie and Ward-Prowse are all capable of fulfilling various roles in the middle, and much will depend on how the new manager plans to set up his team.
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And with recent rumours linking Southampton with a loan move for Chelsea’s Ruben Loftus-Cheek, opportunities may be even harder to come by for Slattery.
But with Pellegrino’s reputation for picking very specific tactics and players to suit each opponent, perhaps the academy graduate will get his chance. He will certainly be hoping to impress the new manager over the next couple of months.
Speaking to the Southampton website about his ambitions, Slattery voiced his appreciation of the club’s policy of exposing young players to first team training. He comes across as determined, humble and ready to work hard to prove his ability.
"“The new manager has come in and you always want to impress and do the best that you can. Hopefully he can see a bit of talent in me and I can be with [the first team] for longer.”"
Whether he’ll get his chance or not, Saints fans will be watching Slattery’s progress with anticipation this season.