The World Cup has been a welcome distraction from domestic action for Southampton fans, who had to deal with their team's reputation being dragged through the mud at the close of the last Championship campaign.
Indeed, the Saints' playoff expulsion - due to Spygate - played out like a horrifying nightmare, as they head into the new season with a four point deduction next to their name, as another part of their long list of punishments.
The World Cup is set to wrap up very shortly, and this weekend sees the South Coast club head back into the slog of pre-season, as they face National League outfit, and near neighbours, Eastleigh in the first of many summer runouts.
Southampton's social media pages have been full of pictures of players coming back in for pre-season tests, but it's not just the senior personnel who will be getting up to speed.
These pre-season games will see several youngsters be handed chances to impress, as well, including Nick Oyekunle, who penned a new contract with his boyhood club back in May, to extend his deal until 2028.
Oyekunle's promise at Southampton
Oyekunle has long been known behind the scenes at the Saints for being an extremely promising youngster.
Indeed, he hasn't exactly gone under the radar for his red-hot goalscoring exploits for the U18s and U21s, with a sublme 50 strikes now next to his name in both youth set-ups.
Amassing four first team appearances, too, the 19-year-old will be champing at the bit to show he deserves more senior recognition during pre-season, with the Daily Echo reporting that the teenager is in and around Tonda Eckert's ranks, as Southampton prepare for Eastleigh.
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Winning the Players' Player of the Year accolade for the U21s last season, he won't want to feel as if he's being held back by sticking it out in youth circles.
Rather, he will want to advance his game, and that could soon come if he's launched into the first team even more next campaign.
He will want to be in the first team next season
It's not out of the ordinary, either, for Eckert to want to throw youngsters into his starting XI every now and then.
Cameron Bragg was regularly selected last campaign, even as he went up against the likes of Shea Charles for first-team minutes, with the 21-year-old's importance to the cause only increasing if the Leeds United-linked midfielder does desert St. Mary's shortly.
Oyekunle must look at Bragg and wonder when his breakout moment will arrive.
Next season could be his Bragg-style breakout moment, as Southampton aren't exactly overflowing with striker options at the moment, with Ross Stewart leaving the club in a disappointing fashion this off-season.
At the moment, Cyle Larin is the only attacker Eckert will feel confident can lead the line with venom, with the 19-year-old's energy and raw potency in front of goal perhaps a great alternative to playing the veteran poacher week in week out.
The South Coast club haven't been linked with a wide array of strikers, either, so Oyekunle must use pre-season as a platform to move into the first team and stay there, having further been noted as making "strong progress" in recent years by Group Technical Director, Johannes Spors, when he penned a contract extension.
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