Former Southampton player and now Under 23 gaffer Radhi Jaidi has given a big interview this week discussing his growth as a coach and where he’d like his career to now go, but it certainly doesn’t sound like he’ll be leaving Staplewood anytime soon.
With our Under 23 side enjoying success this year as we gained promotion from the Premier League 2 Division 2 league and reached the semi-finals of the International Cup, Jaidi can also take credit from the number of youngsters that first team manager Ralph Hasenhuttl has leant on this year.
With the club more returning to the Southampton Way after losing our way under former managers, the latest standout player to make the grade has been Yan Valery, and speaking to the Daily Echo Jaidi continued to have high hopes given the impact the youngster made this season and he had further words of encouragement for him moving forward in the game.
“We have been showing this through the years and not just now, last season and the time before. I was in the dressing room with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Adam Lallana who had been promoted from the academy. Yan came from far. We got him two years ago from France and he showed a good desire and commitment to improve himself. He also benefitted from the opportunity he had with the first team.”
Jaidi went on to say about the lad that he believed he had what it took to grow into one of the leaders in the first team setup.
“What Yan has is a strong character and the will to make things happen. He showed a really big improvement and is one of the main players for the first team. He can build up and be one of the leaders in the first team, but he needs to carry on working the same as some others who are training with the first team. They need to have that awareness of working on a daily basis. They are not first team yet and they aren’t confirmed yet. Yan should think far ahead. That’s my advice for him. The whole club, and especially the academy, is proud of what Yan has achieved this season and hopefully there is more coming.”
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