Russell Martin has named the one athlete who he would love to bring to Southampton in a fictional world, to improve the intensity of training.
Southampton have clearly been working hard in training after the November international break. The Saints look like a new team and although they have "only" picked up one point since the break, they have put in some good performances against Liverpool and Brighton.
Next up, Southampton host Chelsea in the Premier League. Russell Martin will, with no doubt, be eager to build on the momentum the Saints set against Brighton. Despite having several key players missing, Southampton have what it takes to snatch a point from Chelsea.
In the buildup, Russell Martin named which athlete his side could take inspiration from.
Russell Martin names his dream addition to improve Southampton training
Sky Sports published a video whereby Premier League managers where asked a host of questions.
In a segment involving Russell Martin, managers were asked the question "If you could have any non-football athlete train with your team for a week, who would it be and what do you think they would bring to the squad?"
For Russell Martin, there was only going to be one answer. The Saints manager answered with tennis legend Novak Djokovic and praised his intensity.
In his own words, Russell Martin answered: "Novak Djokovic. I absolutely love the guy's intensity."
Anyone who has ever played tennis will attest that playing the sport is a different kettle of fish. The game is one of high-intensity and it involves incredible cardiovascular endurance. Mobility is also a key part of tennis, with plenty of twists and turns and the ball being hit from different angles.
So, there are certainly some transferrable skills between football and tennis. Moreover, Martin loves the intensity which Djokovic brings to his respective sport, something which could certainly help Southampton in their current bid to survive Premier League relegation.