Jake Hesketh

He looks like someone who can spot the space for a killer pass. Could be a good year for him, I expect mainly in the league cup and FA cup and coming off the bench a few times in the league. He looks exciting.

Jake's splendid play against Palace is a reminder that it does take time for young players to develop their skills, and it is credit to the academy that they are doing that. So many on here are impatient to see instant success. It doesn't happen like that.

"Nine", I realise our assessments of games are based on opinion but surely you could appreciate the class and sharp incisive passing of Hesketh.....anything but standard through balls. His goal from open play is something Prowsey hasn't managed in 120 or so appearances. Your critique of Reed as just a layer of late tackles, is also harsh. Reed and Hesketh showed they should have been given more opportunities by Koeman - let's hope they get them under Puel.

Agreed

The "Loser" comment was a tongue-in-cheek reference to JWP's status as an excellent top-level footballer, consistent with the rest of my post.

 

It is interesting, though, that you took it differently. Smoke and fire eh, mush?

Apologies hutch.

Thought loser comment was aimed at me.

"Nine", I realise our assessments of games are based on opinion but surely you could appreciate the class and sharp incisive passing of Hesketh.....anything but standard through balls. His goal from open play is something Prowsey hasn't managed in 120 or so appearances. Your critique of Reed as just a layer of late tackles, is also harsh. Reed and Hesketh showed they should have been given more opportunities by Koeman - let's hope they get them under Puel.

I personally think 'could' rather than 'should' ....when referring to keomans choices. He ultimately got us to Europe via the league and that's the best we have done in the league for 30 years. However if they were not going to get in the first team them they perhaps would have benefited from playing the second half of last season on loan in the championship and having to toughen up and get experience .... But I guess there's also arguments for and against every decision

Someone get his signature on a 5 year deal quick before someone else does! The lad looks quality we should be giving him game time to convince him that this is the best place to fulfil his potential it's criminal that he has had to wait for so long reminds me of when we let craine and mills rot in the reserves in the championship and then watched them walk away.

although I detest comparisons (as such), there are times when you feel that a new / young player / reminds you of someone else / from a former era.

 

Looking back 40 years....does anyone else think Jake's performance might just remind a little of the ...."young Steve Williams ".c 1976.

 

Jake looked as though he was a part of the team from the first kick and he played with so much confidence, and ...for " a small fella "... he wasn't afraid to mix it a bit... even with the more muscular Palace players. I've watched him play for the U21 (now U23).. but I was very impressed with the maturity of his game....and the goal.

yeah he does a bit ... I don't remember Steve Williams having many goals in him tho' but I might be wrong .... memory's not so sharp nowadays which kinda goes hand in hand with being able to remember Steve Williams ................ or Joe Kirkup even

Can't say I noticed Hesketh doing anything I haven't seen numerous other Saints players do with that amount of time and space - Ward-Prowse himself provided the key pass for Hesketh's goal.

 

I think if there had been "routine exquisite through balls" as opposed to the kind of standard through balls we've been playing all season, I would have noticed. Unfortunately there aren't any passing stats online to debunk this. I'd still say it was more down to Palace's lack of effort or ability than any genius on our part though.

do you realise how much of clueless co(k your co ents make you look? or maybe just a wind up skate knob

Someone get his signature on a 5 year deal quick before someone else does! The lad looks quality we should be giving him game time to convince him that this is the best place to fulfil his potential it's criminal that he has had to wait for so long reminds me of when we let craine and mills rot in the reserves in the championship and then watched them walk away.

... both walking away into a career ending in oblivion really.

Although Mills did look a decent prospect for a couple of years to be fair to him, but never reaching the heights he was meant to be destined for.

Apologies hutch.

 

Thought loser comment was aimed at me.

...

... both walking away into a career ending in oblivion really.

 

Although Mills did look a decent prospect for a couple of years to be fair to him, but never reaching the heights he was meant to be destined for.

Shame really, I remember being really excited at having the two first choice England under 21 centrebacks as our future.

Shame really, I remember being really excited at having the two first choice England under 21 centrebacks as our future.

well were a bit of track as this is the Jake Hesketh thread but ....YES I agree with you.

They came through the Academy where Martin Cranie DAJFU outstandingly as "the quiet one " and was capped for "young England" nearly 40 times between U17-U21 .

Cranie had a baptism of fire on his League debut (v.Chelsea at Stamford Bridge) when given the unfamiliar LB role, had a shocker was even credited with an "own-goal " (which to be fair, he couldn't have avoided) It was a rare appearance at a time when Saints' fortunes were low. He never seemed to cope with the "physicality" of the first team and eventually followed Harry to "his spiritual home"..at a time when Harry eyes were already on the managers chair at Tottenham. After which Cranie drifted off to a succession of not very successful clubs, although he has since clocked up over 300 League games - most recently at Huddersfield.

Matt Mills developed his game under the aura of Steve Wigley; (who like Stuart Gray and Dave Merrington before him) did a superb job as Youth team trainer, only to have their careers tarnished when given the "shi**y end of the stick " ..with the task of saving the club (at critical times when Saints had been deserted by defecting managers); Ball ....and Hoddle ....and in Wigley's case - Gordon Strachan).

Mills was greatly influenced by Wigley, who left Saints for an assistant job at Man.City (when they were less successful than they are today), but as with Mills...when his mentor left City, so did Mick (although his career was slightly more successful) and featured a number of very high profile, and surprisingly big transfers to lesser clubs including one rumoured to be £6 million.

Saints were on the slide by now...but had it been in better times, both might have stayed longer and indeed been capped at a higher level.

I remember Cranie as a primary school footballer in Yeovil. Class act, much potential and you could see even then he could've/would've/should've been a regular top player (whatever 'top' means these days). Pleasant friendly lad, too. Shame he didn't make it further at Saints - the 'own goal on debut' tag was unfortunate & rather unfair.

Anyway, back to Hesketh.

Shame he didn't come on today v WHam. Would have been a great PL game for him to see if he could make an impact in the last 10 mins. I'm sure we'll see him in more PL games before too long, though. Looks like an exciting prospect.

Thinking this might be worth something on a couple of levels one day.

No shame in that effort. Had the team been playing well, he'd have shown up better. We let them come at us for the first 25 minutes and no-one looked very special.

Good reasoning by Puel, and Jake will have learned something from the outing, but " it's a man's game ", and he'll have to learn to take the knocks.

Sadly the only time I heard his name mentioned was when he was picking himself up after being fouled.

Jake is on a fast learning curve, and I expect to see him given more chances in the future.

Scored another couple of goals for the U23's who drew 3-3 with Boro.

Seems to be getting better & better after his injury.

Wonder if he might be able to get a spot on the bench soon?

Scored another couple of goals for the U23's who drew 3-3 with Boro.

 

Seems to be getting better & better after his injury.

 

Wonder if he might be able to get a spot on the bench soon?

Always been impressed with him when I've seen him, and looked pretty good on his few chances in the first team. He's got great skill and can actually score goals from around the edge of the box. Think he definitely should be in the match day squad on a weekly basis.

Good player, but I don't think he is going to make it because he is so susceptible to injury.

Should be on the bench at least imo.

Just read the Rose to Man Utd article and he only properly became a regular player in this league for Sunderland 5 years ago when he was 22, now probably going for £50m + to Man Utd. Think this shows we should be patient with our youngsters and they still have time on their side.

Surprised at how his career has developed. Couple of cameos in the cup 4/5 years ago and he looked like he had the raw materials (good shooting, neat passing and awareness) to become a decent attacking midfielder.

On 25/09/2016 at 22:47, St Chalet said:

 

Thinking this might be worth something on a couple of levels one day.

Be as valuable as the famous Ryan Smith 2008 kit.

2 hours ago, verlaine1979 said:

Surprised at how his career has developed. Couple of cameos in the cup 4/5 years ago and he looked like he had the raw materials (good shooting, neat passing and awareness) to become a decent attacking midfielder.

Wasn't it him who Chelsea tried to buy when he was 16 or 17? Or was that someone else?

Seems that the academy of late has turned out a fair few players who aren't quite at the top of the game, which is a real shame. 

8 minutes ago, angelman said:

Wasn't it him who Chelsea tried to buy when he was 16 or 17? Or was that someone else?

Seems that the academy of late has turned out a fair few players who aren't quite at the top of the game, which is a real shame. 

There was a lot of interest in Slattery when he turned 16 - another one who has now become an identikit lightweight blonde without standout qualities.

Was the academy secretly being run by a Nazi eugenicist for a few years? We have clones of JWP the way The Boys from Brazil had clones of Hitler.

The worst age to be in modern football is 22-24! 22 is too old for the 25 man squad (not a problem for Saints, but is for most teams) and then 24 is too old for the under 23s.

Too lightweight for us, but I expect he’ll advance beyond Crawley.

His career has never recovered since he went off crying at Burnley away a few years ago. Why are we loaning him out again?! Time to just get rid. 

4 hours ago, LGTL said:

His career has never recovered since he went off crying at Burnley away a few years ago. Why are we loaning him out again?! Time to just get rid. 

Get rid how? Surely it's better to loan him out(getting some contribution from Crawley) rather than pay up his remaining contract in full.

Personally think Hesketh been unlucky with injuries/our blocked pathway/been mucked about on loan. Hope the move works out for him and he can make the most of his talent there and build a career.

17 hours ago, verlaine1979 said:

There was a lot of interest in Slattery when he turned 16 - another one who has now become an identikit lightweight blonde without standout qualities.

Was the academy secretly being run by a Nazi eugenicist for a few years? We have clones of JWP the way The Boys from Brazil had clones of Hitler.

Thanks....my memory's not what it used to be, or maybe it's easy to get confused, as you say, by which one of The Boys From Brazil is which. 

A start and an assist so far tonight.

Crawley are 3-0 up already.

On 27/10/2020 at 19:00, SuperSAINT said:

A start and an assist so far tonight.

Crawley are 3-0 up already.

Earning his 15k a week 

Started & got sent sent off today. 

Jake Hesketh said goodbye to Southampton after 17 years this summer.

After spending nearly three-quarters of his life as a player on the club’s books, it is time for the 25-year-old to enter the transfer window as a free agent and seek a new home to showcase his talent.

With every academy departure across professional football, questions are often raised as to whether the club let the player down or if they just weren’t good enough to compete at the level required.

The answer may be somewhere in the middle.

But for Hesketh, Southampton had always been his home. It’s the club he joined as a boy full of hope and left slightly bruised 17 years later, yet still harbouring optimism for what will come next.

“I’ve been expecting it (being released), so it’s not a surprise,” he tells The Athletic. “Even when you know it’s coming, it’s still weird because you know you aren’t coming back and it’s done.

“It’s all I’ve known. You can’t sign until you are in the under-9s, but my first training session was for the under-7s, so all I’ve known is playing football for Saints. I’ve never had anything else until I went on loan.”

Hesketh’s final day at Southampton coincided with the conclusion of his rehabilitation programme as he used the facilities at Staplewood, the club’s training campus, to recover from a hamstring injury.

After his final session, he had a chat with familiar faces before heading out the door for the last time.

“I had a meeting with Matt Hale (academy manager) and Danny Butterfield (loans manager),” Hesketh continued. “I sat there chatting to them for 15-20 minutes and they had got me a framed shirt which was a nice touch.

“The shirt had two pictures of when I scored against Crystal Palace and a little plaque thanking me for my efforts.”

In Ralph Hasenhuttl, Southamptonhave a coach who isn’t afraid to give youngsters an opportunity. Nathan Tella, Will Smallbone, Dan N’Lundulu can all attest to that.

For Hesketh, though, the chance to impress the Austrian wasn’t ever afforded to him. The 25-year-old didn’t train with the first team at all after Hasenhuttl took charge in December 2018.

Loan spells at Burton Albion, MK Dons, Lincoln City and Crawley Town meant he had to rely on pre-season being the time he would get to play in front of the manager. That opportunity, however, didn’t come.

“I had one conversation (with Hasenhuttl) when I came back from loan, and he didn’t know who I was,” Hesketh reveals. “I went in to find out what I’d be doing for the upcoming season and to see if I would get an opportunity to impress in pre-season.

“I wasn’t trying to force anything, but he said he’d get back to me. Kelv (Kelvin Davis) then called and said I’d be with the under-23s. I feel like I could have more opportunities, and I’m not saying I should be there playing every week. I’m probably not good enough, and I accept that.

“But there is an element of disappointment because I’d played a couple of times and got a goal, but it didn’t fall into place. If I’d gone on loan in the first year and done ridiculously well, I think I would have got the opportunity. But that’s on me.

“A chance to train in front of him would have been nice because I feel like the way he plays with the high press suits me perfectly. If he was the manager when I was 18, then maybe it would have developed in a different way.”

During his conversation with The Athletic, at no point does Hesketh come across as bitter about how it unfolded at Southampton. Instead, he cut a relaxed figure who was able to look back at the multiple times he was nearly released by the club, as well as the good times, and smile about it.

He recalls there being five moments he thought his time at St Mary’s would end prematurely as he worked his way through the youth ranks. The problem wasn’t with his ability with the ball at his feet. It was, by his own admission, because height wasn’t on his side.

Because of this, he would train with his age group but then play minutes for the year below. He points to being one of the last 16-year-olds in his squad to be handed a scholarship.

“In my first year of being a scholar, I didn’t play at all, really,” the creative player explains. “I played two or three league games. I played for the under-16s some Saturdays, where I’d play the first half and then come over and spend the second half with the under-18s, but I wouldn’t come on.

“There were 15-year-olds coming on ahead of me. I’d have arguments with coaches in training and lose my head because I found it really hard.”

The most nerve-wracking time, though, came when he sat outside with four other hopefuls waiting to find out whether they would be offered professional contracts.

After all, this is the moment he had been training for and dreaming of ever since he joined the under-7s.

“When it came to pro contracts, we all had meetings and had to wait in this room, and one by one people would get called out,” Hesketh recalls. “I was in a group of five, and they all came out and said they had been released. I went in and thought I was done, but then they said they didn’t know yet about me.

“That was the worst thing they could have said. They gave me six weeks and sent me to train with the under-21s at a higher level. We played six games, and I scored six or seven goals in that run. I got my first pro contract and then won scholar of the year on the same day.”

Fresh off the back of his award-winning evening in May 2014, the future looked bright for Hesketh.

Ronald Koeman arrived to replace Mauricio Pochettino that summer and eventually handed the teenager his first-team debut against Manchester United. It was a dream come true for Hesketh but made even more special by the fact the Old Trafford side were his boyhood club.

To make the moment that little bit more remarkable, it was also the first time Hesketh was named on the bench, so he certainly wasn’t expecting to get the nod to replace Dusan Tadic in the 70th minute.

“I remember Erwin (Ronald Koeman’s brother) turned around and said to go and get warm. I was sat next to Reedo (Harrison Reed), so he got up, but then Erwin said he meant me,” he explains. “I’ve gone out for a jog, clapped the fans and looked up at the clock.

“I remember thinking, ‘I can’t come on now against this lot — I was playing for the under-18s six months ago!’. He called me over to come on and just told me to go and play.

“The first thing that happened when I came on was Van Persie scored from a free-kick. But after my first touch, I just loved it. There is a photo of me trying to win a header against Marouane Fellaini.”

Despite the defeat, you sense Hesketh wasn’t going to let that get in the way of what was a day he’ll always remember.

And after the final whistle, he received the cherry on top.

“I didn’t know what to do after the game, but the United physio at the time was Matt Radcliffe, who used to work at Saints,” he adds. “When I was a scholar, I used to clean the physio room, and he battered me about towels for two years.

“He told me he’d grab me a shirt, and he came out with Van Persie’s. It’s in my wardrobe at the moment!”

But what of Koeman? What was it like playing for the club’s most successful manager in recent times?

“Everyone respected him. He would walk into a room, and everyone would shut up and listen to what he has to say,” says Hesketh. “He gave me my debut and started me the week after. I’ll always be grateful for that.”

Despite handing him the opportunity, Hesketh struggled to force his way into the Dutchman’s plans during his two-year stay in the dugout and didn’t play again until Claude Puel turned up on the south coast in 2016.

The Frenchman was an advocate of putting his faith in youth, and Hesketh was one of several to benefit from that.

Puel’s arrival also coincided with the former scholar of the year entering the 12 months of his contract, something he started to grow anxious about at the time. After conversations with his agent, the duo thought a loan spell would be the best option to boost the number of league games he’d played.
 

But that move was blocked by Ross Wilson, Southampton’s former director of football operations, and Les Reed, the ex-vice-chairman.

They insisted Puel wanted to allow everyone to show up and earn a place in his matchday squad.

“I did pre-season and played for the under-23s, but I wasn’t really getting anywhere. An offer came in for me to go on loan, so my agent called Les and he said the gaffer wants me to stay, and that’s final,” Hesketh adds.

And the current Saint-Etienne manager was true to his word.

“I scored against Crystal Palace and played in the Europa League game against Hapoel Be’er Sheva.”

Although he picked up an injury during the 2016-17 campaign, Hesketh was rewarded with a new four-and-a-half-year contract in what was a clear show of faith in his potential.

“I would have been more than happy with two years, but the offer came through and it was four and a half,” he said, before adding: “I didn’t take much convincing (to sign it). I’d have been stupid to turn it down.”

But Puel only lasted one season in the job, finishing eighth and reaching the League Cup final, before he was sacked and replaced by Mauricio Pellegrino.

Asked whether a slew of managerial changes halted his progress, Hesketh said: “I think it had a negative impact on all the young players. I think that’s standard when a new manager first comes into the building because they want to rely on the experienced players they’ve got and bring their own players in.

“I look at some of the players, Tigs (Matt Targett) and Reedo (Harrison Reed), and they were playing every week in the Premier League last season. When managers come and go, it’s hard to trust young players.

“When Claude came in, he did that. Stepho (Jack Stephens) established himself that year, Sam McQueen played, Reedy played and Simsy (Josh Sims) broke through that year, I think.”

With Puel gone in 2018, Southampton worked their way through Pellegrino, Mark Hughes and on to Hasenhuttl in around 18 months.

Naturally, this was unsettling for the players trying to work their way into the first team manager’s plans, and Hesketh found himself leaving on loan in search of game time.

His foray into a new environment came when he was signed by Burton Albion manager Nigel Clough in 2018. Southampton fans will remember the goal he scored against Portsmouth, and it’s a game that will live long in the mind of the 25-year-old.

“I was getting battered the whole game,” he explains. “I was expecting a little boo here and there but thought it wouldn’t be that bad.

“I remember lining up in the tunnel, and one of the lads from Pompey knew who I was, and I heard their left-back say, ‘Which one is the Saints lad?’, and the guy I knew pointed at me, and the left-back added, ‘He looks like he’s fucking shitting himself’.

“I didn’t think I was but then thought, ‘Maybe I am’, I started doubting myself. I remember going over to take a throw-in, and a guy has stood up and said, ‘Stand up if you hate the scummer’. I tried to ignore it, but the whole stadium stood up and sang it!”

Hesketh labelled Clough “unbelievable” and praised his man-management skills, saying he “wouldn’t have a bad word to say about him” but suggested he is “less of a coach, more of a manager”.

Having spent the first half of the 2018-19 season on loan at Burton, he returned to Southampton in January 2019 before signing with MK Dons until May.

“It’s like your first day at school,” he says when asked what it’s like going from club to club. “The first day everyone is judging you, and they would be lying if they weren’t because I’ve done the same with other players.

“They are looking at you, and some will think, ‘He’s just a loan player, he’ll probably toss it off’. As soon as you start playing matches, it’s easier to settle in. At MK, I scored on my first start and then in the game after so people know you can be useful.”

His spell with MK turned out to be a successful one as they secured automatic promotion into League One, resulting in the squad being rewarded with a trip to Marbella.

He then spent the following two seasons away from Southampton, firstly at Lincoln (2019-20) and then with Crawley (2020-21).

After spending so long on the south coast before going out on loan, you’d expect Hesketh to have experienced a culture shock. Southampton’s training campus is state-of-the-art and has all the facilities needed to make players better.

“You don’t look at it and go, ‘Fucking hell, this lot haven’t got a swimming pool or an ice bath’, you just turn up and train. It is a different world, but once you get on the pitch, you are doing the same thing,” he replied when asked what the transition was like.

“I’ve been to four good clubs who try and play, which definitely helps. But then, if someone booted it long, they wouldn’t sign me to win headers anyway. There are games where you have to fight and scrap, but I enjoy that part of it.

“Going out on loan the first time I played wide more. I’d played wide at different times while growing up, although traditionally I played as a 10. But where teams don’t play with a 10 so much in the lower leagues, being able to play out wide helped.

“The managers knew I wasn’t an out-and-out winger but encouraged me to drift in and get involved.”

Hesketh’s preferred position is as a No 10, trying to make things happen going forward for his team.

But his versatility enables him to be effective as a winger, which is a useful bow when it comes to being signed by another club. By his own admission, the No 10 role is a “dying art”.

He describes Mesut Ozil as being “ridiculous” in that role before Unai Emery joined Arsenal and didn’t want to play with the 2014 World Cup winner in the pocket behind the forwards. The point he’s making is that you need to be able to adapt to this situation.

Hesketh highlights Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne as someone who has been able to tweak their playing style and remain “one of the best midfielders in the world”.

“It’s helped me that I can play out wide, as a 10, or as a No 8,” the former Southampton player admits. “I think to play as a 10, you need more skills than you would to play as an out-and-out winger.

“But to come from out wide to play as a 10 is a different game because you are receiving the ball with your back facing the goal, and you have to turn and see everything.”

So, how is Hesketh looking to improve his game while listed as a free agent?

“I need to get stronger to avoid injuries, but I’ve been doing that over the last few months,” he answers. “I don’t need to be sat there doing bicep curls because that will only look good on the beach.

“Where I’ve been small my whole life, I know how to use my body and can get it in the way of people; I can draw fouls and things like that.”

Although Hesketh doesn’t know which club he’ll be turning out for at the start of next season, there is one thing you can almost guarantee: his salary is set to take a hit.

“My dad has drilled into me since I was younger to be sensible with money, so I’m not the person who thinks I need this and that,” he says when asked about taking a pay cut. “I just want to go and play football.

“I’ve had a conversation about it, and I know the money will be down for a couple of years, but if we pick the right club with the right manager, then all those things will come back in the future.”
 

Hesketh indicates that he hasn’t given the prospect of a reduced salary much thought other than those earlier discussions.

“In the grand scheme of life, what you earn as a lower league footballer is very good money. There is no knocking that,” he continues. “If someone offered you what a League One player was on as an office job, you wouldn’t say no.”

OK, then. If you aren’t concerned about taking a pay cut, what about losing your tag as a Premier League player?

“I’ve never seen myself as a Premier League player,” he quips. “I’ve played a couple of times, but I don’t think you can say that until you’ve played regularly. I can’t put a number on it, but it definitely isn’t two games.

“It’s sad in one sense, but it’s the chance of a new start. Going to find a new home instead of me bouncing between clubs will do me the world of good.”

After spending 17 years attached to one club, you could forgive the 25-year-old if he was suffering from Stockholm syndrome. Yet, that doesn’t seem to be the case.

The positive outlook seems authentic, and his thoughts have already turned to proving a point after last season and helping a team climb the EFL ladder.

Hesketh and his agent have already been in discussions with potential clubs and there appears to be a market for his services.

“I want to end up in the Championship,” he proclaims. “But I want to be joining a team that plays good football and is trying to get promoted. If that was in League Two, then all you need is two or three good seasons and you are in the Championship.”

There must be some concern about entering the market as a free agent, though?

“I’m really relaxed about it. I’m enjoying what I do day-to-day, and there is no point in me stressing about it,” he continues. “There isn’t anything I can do at the moment unless someone wants to see me on a trial.

“I’d say it’s the start of my career to a weird extent. I will see where it takes me. In one sense, people don’t start their career until after they are 25. What will be, will be.”

https://twitter.com/JoshW_SFC/status/1402581404853194752?s=08

Thanks to SuperSaint for setting out the Athletic interview with Jake Hesketh.  Hesketh, Harry Reed and Josh Sims are three academy players I always saw great potential in and it's a bit sad to reflect on what's happened to Hesketh.   While I don't hold Ralph responsible I believe he didn't give the trio enough of a chance to establish themselves at Saints.   

1 hour ago, austsaint said:

Thanks to SuperSaint for setting out the Athletic interview with Jake Hesketh.  Hesketh, Harry Reed and Josh Sims are three academy players I always saw great potential in and it's a bit sad to reflect on what's happened to Hesketh.   While I don't hold Ralph responsible I believe he didn't give the trio enough of a chance to establish themselves at Saints.   

All 3 seemed to look  a bit to lightweight.

Why have we kept him until the age of 25,   if they are not going to develop as a player and be good enough kick them out at 21/22

Harsh,  but that's life.

I always thought he could have been given more chance with the first team but if he was any good he would have done better on his loans, he was playing at a very low level. Reed wasn't given a chance but he excelled on loan and made a name for himself and is now a premier league level player.

2 hours ago, austsaint said:

Thanks to SuperSaint for setting out the Athletic interview with Jake Hesketh.  Hesketh, Harry Reed and Josh Sims are three academy players I always saw great potential in and it's a bit sad to reflect on what's happened to Hesketh.   While I don't hold Ralph responsible I believe he didn't give the trio enough of a chance to establish themselves at Saints.   

Yeah confirms the sense that Ralph decided from get go that they were simply too old to be worked with.

Ross Wilson really got that contract wrong though. Kid would be happy with 2 years Ross throws him a four and half year deal.

Really hope Hesketh finds a decent league club and manages to find a way to re-discover the ability that he previously exhibited in fits and starts. Maybe he'll rock up at Mansfield with Cloughie.

28 minutes ago, Hatch said:

Why have we kept him until the age of 25,   if they are not going to develop as a player and be good enough kick them out at 21/22

Harsh,  but that's life.

 

Looking at that article above, presumably it's because we gave him a 4 1/2 year contract on money that no other club was prepared to take him on for, hence we loaned him out, probably paying the vast majority of his wages. 

Tbf, if the club thought he was going to make it then it would have been justified giving him a long contract. 

I never felt he was physically strong/big enough to  be a successful PL player

22 hours ago, TWar said:

I always thought he could have been given more chance with the first team but if he was any good he would have done better on his loans, he was playing at a very low level. Reed wasn't given a chance but he excelled on loan and made a name for himself and is now a premier league level player.

Unfortunately the pathway for Reed was always blocked by better players, and I think personally he still at this point wouldn't make the side

3 minutes ago, Smirking_Saint said:

Unfortunately the pathway for Reed was always blocked by better players, and I think personally he still at this point wouldn't make the side

Agreed. If he was happy to be third choice for us then he would have likely gotten a lot of minutes but I can't think of a time in his entire time with us where if everyone was fit he would start. We have been strangely blessed with quality CM/DMs in Scheiderlin, Wanyama, JWP, Romeu, Hojbjerg (?), Diallo (?). It's a hard position to break into.

Just now, TWar said:

Agreed. If he was happy to be third choice for us then he would have likely gotten a lot of minutes but I can't think of a time in his entire time with us where if everyone was fit he would start. We have been strangely blessed with quality CM/DMs in Scheiderlin, Wanyama, JWP, Romeu, Hojbjerg (?), Diallo (?). It's a hard position to break into.

Everyone gave Hojbjerg so much shit but in reality he was/is a very good DM... if not slightly limited. We probably asked a bit too much of him but if you want a guy that wins the ball, breaks up attacks and recycles then he is in that top bracket in the prem IMO

I think even Diallo is a better option overall than Reed, Reed to me feels again like a pure DM, technically lacks a bit.. I think Diallo has the higher ceiling.

Its a shame for Reed, that he didn't make it for us, but glad to see him doing well elsewhere

Which one has had the lucky escape then?

2 hours ago, SuperSAINT said:

 

Probably deemed detrimental to team moral, making the rest of the squad look even worse than they already are

On 11/06/2021 at 11:00, Smirking_Saint said:

Everyone gave Hojbjerg so much shit but in reality he was/is a very good DM... if not slightly limited. We probably asked a bit too much of him but if you want a guy that wins the ball, breaks up attacks and recycles then he is in that top bracket in the prem IMO

I think even Diallo is a better option overall than Reed, Reed to me feels again like a pure DM, technically lacks a bit.. I think Diallo has the higher ceiling.

Its a shame for Reed, that he didn't make it for us, but glad to see him doing well elsewhere

Completely agree.  I never understood the shit Hojbjerg got, he's a top class CM.  Especially in our system of playing 2 in midfield, he did a fantastic job, as has Romeu and JWP.

Reed would be good squad depth for us, but like you say, Diallo is probably a better option.  We ask a huge amount from our CM's as they have to be able to go back and forwards, the modern day sides often have DM's or #10's.

Signed for Eastleigh I’ve heard.