Aspiring graduate Redmond proves the value of academies
Under-21 veteran has been schooled to take his place on the biggest stages, writes
Nathan Redmond represents investment. Not just the £11 million that Southampton paid to Norwich for him last year, but investment by the English system in home-grown talent. A lot of time, coaching and money have gone into the making of this young man since he joined the Birmingham City academy at the age of eight. He takes his place in tomorrow’s EFL Cup final not just for Southampton, but for all those who believe in academies, youth coaching and the English system as a whole.
Redmond made his first senior appearance for Birmingham, the city of his birth, when just 16 years and 173 days – only Trevor Francis debuted for the club at a more tender age. He has 34 Under-21 caps to his name, played in the European Championships in 2015, and is still eligible to do so again this year in Poland.
This is a young man who should represent the future of England football – but what does he think? “You’d have to ask Gareth Southgate!” Redmond laughs, as he contemplates the manager who might one day give him a full international cap.
“When he first came into the Under-21s, he wanted to change the perception that English people had about young players: that we had no one coming through and that we could not compete in tournaments.
“He wanted to change that and we went unbeaten in the qualifying group. We got to the 2015 finals and we didn’t do as well as we should have done, but after that campaign there was a lot of young English talent that went on into the seniors. I think it is important for young English players that the pathway is there. If you are performing well with your country and your club, you will be given opportunities.”
But do enough young English players get opportunities at club level? “Not really,” Redmond admits. “It can be down to the manager. Sometimes it could be you are not ready or not working hard enough. So many things build to making that opportunity – sometimes it is luck, sometime the clubs are forced to play young players, because of the situation at the club or because of injuries.
“Some clubs have got young players in abundance but the quality of their first team is not really allowing them to play. But once you get the opportunity to go on loan or play cup games you have to take them.”
It seems strange to think that Redmond is still only 22, for his CV has the look of a grizzled old pro: it features 198 league matches, including a 2015 play-off final win for Norwich. Now he has the chance to add major silverware to his list of achievements.
When we meet in a hotel near his Winchester home, he is refreshed from a couple of days off “relaxing, seeing some friends, not doing much – chilling”. The Southampton squad are about to go to Spain for warm weather training. Otherwise, manager Claude Puel is maintaining the same routine which has served them so well on this cup run.
“At the end of the day you just have to go out there and play football,” Redmond says. “The only thing different is the stadium, the occasion. But I have had some pretty big matches in my career.”
Redmond clearly enjoys a challenge. He began life as a creative wide midfielder but Puel has been adapting his role, making more demands of him both technically and tactically.
“I have been played higher up and I am learning a new position in terms of my runs, my forward movement and how to protect the ball as well,” says Redmond.
“I have enjoyed learning. The manager told me I was not going to play out wide a lot of this season so it was either stick it out on the bench and hope for cameo appearances or try to evolve.”
Puel has previous for converting pacy wide men into central forwards: he was assistant manager at Monaco when Thierry Henry began the journey from peripheral winger to, in Redmond’s words, “the greatest Premier League striker”. Some blueprint. Indeed, Puel has gone so far as to say “he sees similarities between them”.
“I saw that he had said that,” says Redmond. “But I did not take it too heavy or too much. There’s only one Thierry Henry. I can only focus on being the best I can be.”
Goals have not, as yet, been the end product. Redmond scored on his Saints debut but has netted just three more times in 36 appearances this term, and has found himself switched back to a midfield role. “I should have more goals, if I am being super critical of myself,” he says.
Either way, most would agree that in Southampton – a club which has become a byword for development excellence – he has found the right place to thrive.