Saints under-21s boss Lallana on loan system importance and Eckert relationship

Former Saints, Liverpool and Brighton midfielder Lallana has led the under-21s on a permanent basis since January, overseeing a strong start to the new season.

As well as integrating players coming up from the under-18s, the under-21s boss also has players who are knocking on the door of senior football and have either experienced life out on loan or are being prepared for that step.

Moses Sesay (Colchester United), Nick Oyekunle (Leyton Orient) and Tommy Dobson-Ventura (Eastleigh) are some of the players currently out on loan, while Princewill Ehibhatiomhan (Swindon Town and Salford City) and Romeo Akachukwu (Colchester) have previously had EFL loans.

Lallana insists keeping tabs on their development plays a major role in his position.

"A huge part. We have constant meetings about the lads going out on loan. Every pathway is slightly different," he told the Daily Echo.

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"The loan doesn't always have to be successful. A loan is an experience, so it's always successful, really, because these young players are yet to feel it.

"I had a month at Bournemouth, which I thought at the time was a disaster. It was a month, but I came back and I kind of knew what the men's dressing room kind of smelt like, what it felt like, the level, how physical it was.

"So you come back and you kind of just re-jig.

"It just teaches you things that you can't feel at 21's level. My job is to kind of bridge the gap from 21's to first-team. I want it to feel more manly, more real to the game.

"It's my job to make the environment of training as close to the reality as possible."

Saints under-21s boss Adam Lallana addresses his players in the St Mary's dressing room

Cam Bragg is the latest success story out of the academy while Oyekunle, Sesay, Barnaby Williams and Sufianu Dibaga were all amongst the players to make their senior debuts for Saints last campaign.

A rare benefit for the Saints youngsters looking to break into the first-team picture is that most were managed by current head coach Tonda Eckert.

The German initially joined Saints to take charge of the under-21s before replacing Will Still last November, initially on an interim basis before taking over permanently.

"A lot of these lads were managed by Tonda, which is fantastic because he knows who they are, their names. He watches the games," Lallana stated.

"They're close enough where they can kind of see where they want to be, but they've got to impress and develop enough where they get an opportunity and then they'd have to take it.

"[We speak] really often. The priority is always availability for a first-team session, for a squad. The number one priority is development and next man up. The pathway's open here.

"It's a constant message we have to the players. You have to look at obviously Barnaby getting his debut last year, Braggy, Suf, Nick and hopefully the next debut is not too far away."