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Southampton Football Academy

Southampton Football Club Academy or Saints Academy is the youth organisation run by Southampton Football Club to encourage and develop young footballers in the South of England. There are currently 9 squads at the Academy. Renowned players including Gareth Bale, Theo Walcott, and Alan Shearer began their careers at this academ

Features

Some will consider fifth place too high for the Southampton academy but when one looks at their immediate recent products and current youngsters, their high position is easily justifiable.

Training Staff

The academy manager is Matt Hale. The previous academy manager was Matt Crocker (who served an apprenticeship at Cardiff City), assisted by Terry Moore. Crocker joinedThe FA as head of coaching and player development in the winter of 2013. Players are looked after by Host Families within the local area. These families are organised and monitored by Family Liaison Officer Ian Herding and his assistant Emma Walker.

Famous Player

In the past, prior to the establishment of the academy, the Southampton youth system has produced other international players, such as Terry Paine, Martin Chivers, Steve Williams, Mick Channon, Matthew Le Tissier and Alan Shearer.Gareth Bale is the most highly regarded of the Saints’ formidable production line, but Adam Lallana, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Theo Walcott, Luke Shaw and James Ward-Prowse are all very good footballers who have emerged from the set-up at St Mary’s. Youngsters Matt Targett, Harrison Reed and Sam Gallagher all find themselves in the clubs first team squad, and look set to continue the clubs recent record of breeding their own quality players.