Reed Saint going to take it
HARRISON REED has warned Southampton he won’t settle for being a back-up boy next season.
The 23-year-old midfielder has shone on loan at Norwich and is ready to play hardball with Saints.
He said: “I just want to play. I’ve really enjoyed my time here and it’s opened my eyes.
“So playing regularly and being in the starting 11 every week is something I want to continue.
“I don’t want to go back to Southampton and sit in the stand every Saturday or play U-23 football.
“Next season I want to progress, whether it’s here or somewhere else. So we will talk at some stage.”
Reed’s season nearly ended early when he was on the wrong end of a bad tackle by Bolton skipper Darren Pratley.
Reed said: “It was a bit tasty. He caught me above the knee and I said to the ref, ‘If that’s not a red card, I’m not sure what the rules are’.
“I wasn’t expecting him to come flying in knee high. He said sorry later and admitted it was rash.”
Pratley, 32, was also on the end of an X-rated challenge from Canaries defender Jamal Lewis.
But Pratley, still recovering after suffering two broken legs last season, shrugged it all off. The midfield enforcer said: “To be fair, I put one on Reed earlier that was a bit late but thankfully he was all right.
“Tackles happen in games. I was late on Reed and Lewis was late on me. It’s all part and parcel of football.”
It was a brutal battle but comically the only red card was for Norwich coach Daniel Farke, who kicked the ball away in stoppage time.
A highly amused Pratley said: “It helped us out, so I was happy with that.
“He just wasted a bit of time, so I was buzzing.”