Southampton: 3 academy graduates who must feature in 2018/19

GRONINGEN, NETHERLANDS - JULY 30: (L-R) Yan Valery of Southampton and Danny Hoesen of Groningen go up for a header during the friendly match between FC Groningen an FC Southampton at Euroborg Stadium on July 30, 2016 in Groningen, Netherlands. (Photo by Christof Koepsel/Getty Images)
GRONINGEN, NETHERLANDS - JULY 30: (L-R) Yan Valery of Southampton and Danny Hoesen of Groningen go up for a header during the friendly match between FC Groningen an FC Southampton at Euroborg Stadium on July 30, 2016 in Groningen, Netherlands. (Photo by Christof Koepsel/Getty Images)
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GRONINGEN, NETHERLANDS – JULY 30: (L-R) Yan Valery of Southampton and Danny Hoesen of Groningen go up for a header during the friendly match between FC Groningen an FC Southampton at Euroborg Stadium on July 30, 2016 in Groningen, Netherlands. (Photo by Christof Koepsel/Getty Images)
GRONINGEN, NETHERLANDS – JULY 30: (L-R) Yan Valery of Southampton and Danny Hoesen of Groningen go up for a header during the friendly match between FC Groningen an FC Southampton at Euroborg Stadium on July 30, 2016 in Groningen, Netherlands. (Photo by Christof Koepsel/Getty Images)

It’s no hidden secret that Southampton has always been a sacred haven for producing young talent, with some of the most exciting players having been unearthed and produced down on the south-coast for some-time now.

The likes of club legend Matthew Le Tissier, now Real Madrid’s Gareth Bale and former Southampton captain Adam Lallana are all names that come to mind when thinking of the conveyor belt of talent that has come through the ranks at the club.

More recent examples would consist of the likes of Luke Shaw, Calum Chambers and James Ward-Prowse – and though the latter is the only name still wearing a Saints shirt these days from the previous exodus, all of them have made an impact in their time whilst representing the ‘red and white’.

Now heading into a new campaign, we take a look at some of the players that have come through the ranks in the past few years that could be heavily featured and make a name for themselves at Southampton, or help in pushing the club back into a top half finish – so who could they be?