Puel impressed with young talent at Saints

The quality of the Southampton’s academy set-up is well known and new manager Claude Puel is impressed with the young talent he’s had chance to work with.

Former Saints stars Gareth Bale, Adam Lallana and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain have all earned international caps after developing on the south coast and five more academy graduates made their debuts on Wednesday.

And while it was the club’s record signing Sofiane Boufal, 22, who clinched the winner in the EFL Cup tie with a stunning strike as Southampton beat Sunderland 1-0, Puel highlighted how the young talent is still coming through.

“I wanted to give the chance, in this game, to players like Boufal and all of the young players,” he said.

(Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

“The young players had a good spirit. It was difficult because they didn’t have experience and maturity, but with energy and quality, like the goal of Boufal, it was okay.

“We have some injuries, so some players didn’t play in their position too, like (Jack) Stephens for example.

“He played at right-back, but with a good attitude he played a good game, like all of the young players.”

Southampton, who have never won the League Cup, take on Arsenal in the quarter-finals on the week commencing November 28.