Saints Marching
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Southampton: Saints Marching’s 2018/19 Emerging Player of the Season

By Marc Walker

SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 30: David Silva of Manchester City battles with James Ward-Prowse of Southampton and Yan Valery of Southampton during the Premier League match between Southampton FC and Manchester City at St Mary's Stadium on December 29, 2018 in Southampton, United Kingdom. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)
SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 30: David Silva of Manchester City battles with James Ward-Prowse of Southampton and Yan Valery of Southampton during the Premier League match between Southampton FC and Manchester City at St Mary's Stadium on December 29, 2018 in Southampton, United Kingdom. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images) /
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MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – MARCH 02: Yan Valery of Southampton celebrates after scoring his team’s first goal with his team mates during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Southampton FC at Old Trafford on March 02, 2019 in Manchester, United Kingdom. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – MARCH 02: Yan Valery of Southampton celebrates after scoring his team’s first goal with his team mates during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Southampton FC at Old Trafford on March 02, 2019 in Manchester, United Kingdom. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images) /

Harry Tizard – Yan Valery

The fourth and final award is one that is hotly contested, and could have quite easily been given to a whole host of players in the squad.

Nathan Redmond’s emergence under Ralph Hasenhuttl has been nothing short of spectacular. It could be considered that the England international was a headless chicken under previous management, with his direct runs to goal often in not always ending up into nothing. However, the ‘Klopp of the Alps’ has given the 25 year old a new lease of life and confidence down the wings, turning a player that was once booed by the ‘fans’, to one they quite literally can’t live without. The former Birmingham City youngster has been a thorn in the backside of every team Southampton have came up against this season, causing constant danger with a constant threat of scoring or laying it on a plate for an onrushing teammate.

An equal competitor for the award would be James Ward-Prowse. As said is previous award categories, Ward-Prowse has changed from a player who couldn’t get into Hasenhuttl’s eighteen man squad against Huddersfield has turned himself into one of the first names on the team sheet. Despite not having an assist to his name, the dead ball specialist has added both goals to his game and a tenacious attitude in the midfield to win the ball back; but also cover the most ground in the squad is not one thing to be snuffed at.

With this all considered, my personal choice for the award is a Yan Valery. The young French defender came into the squad with quite some pedigree at youth level, he was thrown in at the deep end when he was handed his league debut against Manchester United under Mark Hughes, he has only looked out of place against Leicester and Cardiff away. The right backs quality has been confidently backed by Hasenhuttl shipping out Euro winner Cedric Soares, with the replacement seemingly being the correct call. Since his inclusion, Southampton have seemed for defensively solid, with the Saints conceding considerably less goals at the back post. The former Rennes man has also been much more of a threatening attacking asset, scoring twice with one assist.