Southampton F.C. Under-23s

Southampton Under-23s

Full name	Southampton Football Club Under-23s
Nickname(s)	The Saints
Ground	Staplewood Campus, Long Lane, Marchwood, Southampton
Owner	Katharina Liebherr
Chairman	Ralph Krueger
Manager	Martin Hunter (Under-23s)
League	Premier League 2 Division 1
2015–16	Premier League 2 Division 1, 6th
Website	Club home page
Home colours Away colours

Southampton Football Club Under-23s, formerly Southampton Under-21s, is the most senior of Southampton's youth teams. The Under-23 team is effectively Southampton's second-string side, but is limited to three outfield players and one goalkeeper over the age of 23 per game following the introduction of new regulations from the 2012–13 season.^[1] They play in Premier League 2 Division 1, while they will also compete in the 2016–17 Checkatrade Trophy.

Home fixtures are contested at the club's training ground Staplewood in Long Lane, Marchwood, Southampton and on rare occasions at St. Mary's. Since July 2010, the under-23s have been managed by Martin Hunter who is also the technical director of the senior side. Hunter's team takes part in the Premier League 2 Division 1, which involves the top 12 Under-23 teams in the country from those clubs with academies classed as Category One under the Elite Player Performance Plan.^[2]

Under-23 squad

Players (excluding scholars) who will qualify as U23s in season 2016–17 (i.e. born on or after 1 January 1993) and who are outside the first team squad.

As of 5 August 2016.^[3]

• ^U18 represents an U18 squad player who has represented the U23s in the 2016–17 season.
• ^{1st TEAM} represents an overage first team player, or a first team designated player, that has represented the U23s team in the 2016–17 season.
• Squad numbers represent numbers given to players for first team and Checkatrade Trophy matches only.

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player 5 DF Florin Gardoș1st TEAM 13 GK Alex McCarthy1st TEAM 18 MF Harrison Reed1st TEAM 24 DF Jack Stephens1st TEAM 27 MF Lloyd Isgrove1st TEAM 30 DF Will Wood 31 MF Armani Little 32 FW Olufela Olomola 34 MF Jake Flannigan 35 DF Alfie Jones 37 MF Harley Willard 38 DF Sam McQueen1st TEAM 39 MF Josh Sims 41 GK Harry Lewis 42 MF Jake Hesketh1st TEAM 43 DF Yan Valery U18 44 FW Marcus Barnes

No. Position Player 45 FW Ryan Seager 47 DF Richard Bakary 48 DF Ollie Cook 49 MF Thomas O'Connor U18 50 DF Ben Rowthorn U18 51 MF Tyreke Johnson U18 52 FW Dan N'Lundulu U18 54 MF Siph Mdlalose U18 55 MF Callum Slattery U18 56 GK Adam Parkes U18 57 DF Jake Vokins U18 58 DF Aaron O'Driscoll U18 59 FW Jonathan Afolabi U18 60 MF Will Smallbone U18 GK Neal Osborn U18 MF Harlem Hale U18 MF Harry Hamblin U18

Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player 46 MF Dominic Gape (on loan at Wycombe Wanderers) DF Jason McCarthy (on loan at Walsall)

Honours

Cups

• U21 Premier League Cup
  • Winners: 2014–15

Staff

Under-23 management

• U23 Coach: Martin Hunter
• U23 Assistant Coach: Radhi Jaïdi
• Sports Medicine & Science Manager: Mo Gimpel
• Head of Sports Science: Alek Gross
• Safeguarding Manager: Margaret Sainsbury
• Safeguarding Officers: Ian Herding & Emma Walker

U23 graduates

A number of players from the Southampton F.C. Under-23 squad go on to have careers in professional football, whether at Southampton or at other clubs. The following is a list of players who have made their Southampton first team debuts since the under-23s squad was established at the start of the 2012–13 season. Players who are listed in Bold have gained senior international caps. Numbers in brackets represent the season in which they made their Southampton debut.