Southampton saw fit to spend £10.5 million to sign the then-19-year-old Shea Charles to the club and he acted as an understudy to Flynn Downes as the Saints secured promotion via the Championship play-offs.
With Southampton desperate to sign Downes permanently this summer, Charles is likely to again have to settle for a place on the bench next season but he has developed well in his first season and would have gained invaluable experience.
Having racked up 38 appearances in all competitions, Charles more than played his part in a successful season and the Northern Ireland international has been discussing manager Russell Martin.
Shea Charles on ‘good guy’ Russell Martin
One of the main reasons Southampton were so keen on signing Charles last summer was his versatility.
Primarily a defensive midfielder, Charles also played at centre-back, right-back and as a box-to-box midfielder under Martin in 2023/24.
Speaking to the Daily Echo, Charles opened up on his relationship with the Saints manager and revealed what the 38-year-old is really like off the pitch.
Charles said: “He’s a very open guy and a good guy to work with, both on and off the pitch.
“He’s really good with us players, very honest, so you know whatever he’s telling you is going to be right.
“Obviously, we talk about what I can do better and what I do well, and that sort of stuff is what I’m trying to implement into my game.”
Charles yet to earn Martin’s trust at Southampton
Whilst Charles enjoyed a decent start to life as a senior footballer, there were signs last season that Martin does not fully trust the youngster yet.
One of the most telling examples of this is the fact that he often favoured dropping the more attack-minded midfielder Will Smallbone back into the holding role over the naturally defensive Charles when Downes was absent from the side.
Downes missed ten league games last season and Southampton won just two without him.
When Downes went off injured against Preston in April, Charles replaced him and had his best performance in a Saints shirt.
However, in the next game away at Cardiff City – a crucial fixture in the race for automatic promotion at the time – Charles was on the bench as Smallbone played his position.
Charles will be keen to improve on last season and show his manager in pre-season he can depend on him in the Premier League.
