The Athletic’s Southampton journalist Carl Anka has been discussing Jack Stephens after asking Saints fans in a Q&A who their Player of the Season – aside from Danny Ings – is as things stand.
What’s he said?
The centre-back has made 22 appearances in all competitions thus far this season, including 19 in the Premier League.
He struggled for minutes at the start of the campaign, though, and was not even in the squad for games against Liverpool, Brighton & Hove Albion, and Tottenham Hotspur at the beginning of the season, despite starting the opening game versus Burnley.
Saints lost that encounter 3-0 but, after playing 45 minutes in the humiliating 9-0 defeat to Leicester City, he has been ever-present in the top-flight.
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Anka states that one of his sources close to the club did not believe that the 26-year-old was good enough to play for Saints, though he is now probably one of their most important players.
He said: “Stephens is a really fun one. At the start of the season he looked like a timid ‘too nice’ centre back.
“After that game, someone close to the club said if he started every game this season Southampton would be relegated.
“Now, not only is he SO important that I was annoyed he was dropped for Burnley, but recent interviews revealed him as the Judge for Southampton’s player’s court.
“A key cog, on and off the pitch.”
Faith paying off
Lesser clubs would have completely ripped up the team sheet after their 9-0 loss to the Foxes.
Stephens didn’t start that game, instead coming off the bench at half-time, but he did play 90 minutes in the return game at the King Power Stadium, which Saints won 2-1.
Indeed, after the game against the Foxes, Ralph Hasenhuttl’s men have played 17 games, conceding 21 goals.
In their opening 10, in which Stephens played just twice, Southampton conceded 25.
It speaks to just how important the former England U21 international has been to their improvement and they now sit 10 points clear of the relegation zone.
Much of that is down to the defender.
Meanwhile, one Southampton striker is said to be “frustrated” at the club!