Premier League academies are tough places to impress with roughly just under one per cent of all youth players to have played in an one making it to the top level of English football. With top academies developing players from across the world, Southampton can boast a youth set-up that can rival any from across the world.
With renown talents such as Gareth Bale and Alan Shearer being produced in Hampshire, it is no wonder that the Saints’ current youth players look to fulfil their potential and emulate them in the future too.
One such player is full back Oludare Olufunwa, who has raised the eyebrows of coaches from both inside and outside Southampton with his recent performances. Looking to be the next Luke Shaw, Olufunwa is doing all he can to get his break and kick off what is sure to be a memorable career.
Having spent the entire summer training and playing with international players such as James Ward-Prowse and Jan Bednarek, the 20-year-old – who can play at right back and centre back – was eager to talk about what he described as ‘the best summer he has had as a footballer’.
Oludare Olufunwa a ‘proud’ Southampton fan
He went on to explain that being able to represent the city he grew up in is a memory he will never forget.
‘Being with the first team, putting on that shirt and playing in front of that fans at St Mary’s Stadium was a great experience,’ he told TIBS News.
‘I have been watching the Saints since I was 10 as a huge fan and to actually be able to play on the pitch made me very proud.’
Much like the senior team, the Southampton B team had struggled to get going this season but after a comprehensive win over Wolves’ B team last season, they seem to have hit their stride.
Captain Olufunwa wasn’t worried however, as he saw the effort and dedication that was happening every day on the training ground. ‘The win (against Wolves) was a long time coming because we had been putting in the work,’ he continued.
‘At Southampton we have a very specific style of play and to get the whole team accustomed to it and firing on all cylinders would always take time but that win shows what we can do when we work together.’
Olufunwa not getting carried away on the south coast
While he cannot wait to make his first Premier League start, Olufunwa has made sure he is focused on what he can control and not get ahead of himself. Even though the thought of making his debut helps incentivise him to train harder every day, he himself stressed that for now it remains a thought and he must continue to work hard in training before it can become reality.
‘While it is a very exciting thought for me to play in front of all those people, I need to focus on what I can control. Every day I need to go to training as the best version of myself, make sure I do everything I can off the pitch to help such as recovering and extra gym work to improve myself.
‘My team-mates and I always put in the work and try our best as we always want to impress the coaches and scouts as they look to see who is ready to make the step up. We haven’t performed badly this season and we have played really well in some of the games we have lost but we just need to keep working hard and improving.’
Olufunwa and his team-mates will hope to continue this new run of form as they try to recover from a slow start. With eyes from scouts of many countries watching, Southampton will be hoping he and the rest of the B team continue to progress and reach the same levels as previous Saints’ academy graduates.
By Joshua Stewart
