From Goggle news
Tottenham boss Andre Villas-Boas has praised Southampton's academy for nurturing stars of the future.
Spurs' Gareth Bale, winner of both player of the season awards, joins Arsenal's Theo Walcott and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain as Saints youth products.
"It is a great school of development," he said ahead of the south coast side's White Hart Lane visit on Saturday.
"Southampton falls into the same category as Sporting Lisbon, like Barcelona, which is to nurture."
He added: "Sometimes there are clubs that keep developing and nurturing players, then there are clubs that go for scouting.
Southampton academy products
•Theo Walcott: The England and Arsenal striker was signed by Arsene Wenger in a deal rising to £12m.
•Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain: The Arsenal winger left the Saints for a deal worth £15m in 2011.
•Gareth Bale: The Welsh international signed for Spurs for up to £10m in 2007.
•Nathan Dyer: The Swansea winger came through the ranks at Southampton.
•Adam Lallana: The Saints captain has made more than 200 appearances since emerging in the first team.
"In Portugal, Sporting Lisbon is the development club and great players have come out of that school.
"They haven't produced the results in the first team as they wanted in the modern era. Porto invest in a later stage and don't develop the player."
Welshman Bale, 23, added the Football Writers' Association Player of the Year accolade to the Professional Footballers' Association Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year wards he won last week.
He has scored 19 goals in 29 Premier League appearances this season and will be key to Spurs' hunt for Champions League qualification, with them currently two points adrift of the top four.
The Londoners are hopeful their own former youth team players, Steven Caulker, 21, Andros Townsend, 21, and Tom Carroll, 20, have bright futures, with Villas-Boas confident there are more to follow.
"Tottenham has a great school with great young players," Villas-Boas said.
"The biggest jump for a young player is from the development team into the first team. They can try to bridge that gap with the Under-21 league.
"But it's the first year and it needs time to get established. In the end I think it will allow players to get into the first team a little more often."
Great to see him talk about the youngsters and the under 21 leaque, I really think this is the way forward to getting players developed for the first team, not going down too lower league levels for experience <oK>
Are Southamton the new westham in bringing players through, must be hard for their fans to always have to sell them
Let hope we can bring some of our fantastic youngsters through and save the club money on transfers
Avb on youngsters & southampton academy
posted on 4/5/13
Bit weird for avb to comment really.
One of his main roles in receiving the job was to get more spurs youngsters off the production line.
The youngsters have stagnated this year thanks to both avb not risking them and sherwood sending them on silly loan deals.
I can only hope avb is building up to the unveiling of 4-3-3 next year as all the youngsters play in this manner anyway.
Very bizarre comments from avb to make, almost highlighting he has not achieved one of the targets.
Hope you are well weare
posted on 4/5/13
don't know why you find them strange mate ?
The youngsters hes talking about have a lot to learn before they get into the first team , only players who I think could of got more game time are carrol and caulker and maybe townsend , the under 21 league players are not really ready. he is just saying how well southamton have done as well to develop players like Bale Walcott etc
Im good mate, just working on my bet of the day
on a winning streak at mo
posted on 4/5/13
Yeah I just feel he has not done enough. For example avb got a bit of a tellin off for a game where he was going to name just 6 subs he was gently reminded that we have plenty of youngsters that could sit on the bench.
Only a small criticism though no drama.
What you gone for???
I've gone for Charlton, spurs, Bolton and forest all to win 4 way Acca.
And for spurs to win today 5-2 or 5-1.
posted on 4/5/13
look like. he has only been here a season mate.
and under great pressure. not sure what you could have reasonably expected him today with regard to nurturing and bringing through young players?
tom carroll seems to be doing ok under him
posted on 4/5/13
"The youngsters hes talking about have a lot to learn before they get into the first team"
By playing ... in lower leagues against senior players, where things are at stake (promotion, relegation) .