Southampton: Season Review for Defender Jack Stephens

At the beginning of the season Jack Stephens was nearly an afterthought for Southampton but he forced himself in and proved he is a talent.

Ralph Hasenhuttl, was searching for answers in the back to help plug-up Southampton’s leaky defense that simply just conceded too many goals. To start the season, Ralph went with three in the back but that clearly was not the answer.

After that he went with a pairing of Jan Bednarek and Jannick Vestergaard to no avail. Finally, he landed on the centre-back pairing of Jan Bednarek and Jack Stephens. The Englishman brought passion and hard-nosed football to the pitch that really turned around the defense.

LEICESTER, ENGLAND – JANUARY 11: Jack Stephens of Southampton celebrates following the Premier League match between Leicester City and Southampton FC at The King Power Stadium on January 11, 2020 in Leicester, United Kingdom. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images) /

Stephens, was throwing himself in front of all the shots he could, making tackles, and inspiring the team from the back. He really became a natural leader and something the club had missed for some time.

He made 23 appearances for the club so far this season and had solid defensive numbers that prove he was an upgrade defensively. He averaged 1.7 tackles a match, 1.1 Interceptions, and a whopping 4.2 clearances per match.

All of Southampton’s defensive woes have not been solved but things were definitely improved with the introduction of Stephens.

The 26-year-old finally had his breakout moment with the club and now is a fan favorite for his play and personality. I look forward to watching him take another step forward and really become a top-level defender for the club either when this season returns or next season.