Jan Bednarek was reportedly close to quitting Southampton under former manager Mark Hughes following the 2018 World Cup.
Polish outlet Sportowe Fakty report via One Football that the 23-year-old centre-back wanted to leave the Premier League club after impressing Poland in Russia despite being knocked out in the group stage on the back of a debut season in England that saw Bednarek hardly feature under former manager Mark Hughes.
However, the appointment of Ralph Hasenhuttl changed everything as Bednarek has now become an ever-present figure in the Southampton starting XI following the arrival of the Austrian manager.
As numbers from Transfermarkt show, Bednarek was heavily underused by Hughes during their time together at the south coast club, with the former Lech Poznan youngster playing just 10 games in all competitions under the former Southampton manager.
With Hasenhuttl, though, the Pole has currently only missed two games in all competitions under the former RB Leipzig manager, playing 28 games for Southampton and this season playing every minute of Premier League football.
Indeed, Bednarek has been one of the many players to have benefitted with the arrival of Hasenhuttl last season, however, his story is perhaps the most inspiring after going from a benchwarmer under a manager many fans were happy to see leave in the end to a defender that has become essential the first-team.
The 23-year-old, who is valued on Transfermarkt at £13.5m, has started his first full season in England in good form, impressing against the likes of Manchester United before the international break as the Saints managed a well-deserved 1-1 draw, with centre-back partner Jannik Vestergaard scoring the equalising goal against the Red Devils.
With an away trip to Sheffield United slowly approaching this weekend, Bednarek will be hoping to keep up impressive performances against the Blades, who they themselves have surprised many a fan for their good start to life back in the Premier League.
