Southampton have a rich history of producing talent from their famed Staplewood academy and it seems they have another gem emerging.
Russell Martin has really invested in his academy since arriving last summer, promoting the likes of Samuel Amo-Ameyaw and Tyler Dibling, to name a couple.
The former Swans boss clearly recognises the importance of giving youth a chance, which is refreshing for supporters.
Academy director Andy Goldie believes the South Coasters have another promising youngster ready to make the grade, having ‘really impressed’ him.
Nico Lawrence signs new Southampton contract after making big impression on Andy Goldie
Nico Lawrence joined Southampton a little over two years ago, arriving from non-league outfit Glebe FC.
The 20-year-old centre-half has been out on loan at Torquay and Colchester United during his stay and Goldie now believes he’s ready for the first team.
Lawrence penned a new contract on Thursday running through to 2026, which emphasises Saints’ high hopes for him.
Speaking to the club website after his renewal, Goldie hailed his progress: “Nico has really impressed me since coming back from Colchester, earning and grabbing the opportunities that have been presented to him.
“He’s demonstrated great maturity in how he’s approached his development on and off the pitch, which has reflected in his performances for the Under-21s and in first team training.
The director continued: “He’s had a taste of the first team environment at Colchester, and on the bench recently against Blackburn Rovers, and his new contract now gives him the time to continue his development with us and earn future opportunities.”
Russell Martin clearly a fan of Nico Lawrence
Martin is clearly a big fan of Lawrence having handed him a place on his bench against Blackburn Rovers earlier this month.
He’s obviously signed off on his contract extension, too, so he’ll likely want to keep him around in pre-season to see if he can become a fixture of his squad.
Speaking after Blackburn, the Southampton boss admitted he is excited by Lawrence’s attributes.
“He has some real tools considering we got him out of non-league and he hasn’t been in an academy all the way through,” Martin said.
“There are some good attributes to work with and it is exciting when you see a young player who has an attribute you value.
Martin did note that he still has work to do: “I am excited about that but I am not going to say he will be involved at any point. It will be dictated by how he adapts and how he does.”