Oriol Romeu has told Hampshire Live that Southampton prospect Ryan Finnigan is one to watch out for. But the midfielder warns his path to the first-team is only getting harder.
Finnigan has been working closely with the senior fold at St Mary’s for much of the season so far. However, Ralph Hasenhuttl is yet to play the 17-year-old since gifting the academy talent his senior debut in January.
Hasenhuttl introduced Finnigan as a stoppage-time substitute during the Saints’ 2-0 FA Cup third-round win against Shrewsbury. He has since made the bench three times across all competitions without featuring.
Romeu is confident Finnigan can have a big future at Southampton, but has sought to keep his immediate expectations realistic.
“He is one of the academy players who has a really big chance to do well in the future,” Romeu said. “Let’s see how he goes. So much can happen, and it is so hard to keep yourself at the top level. He is a great midfielder with great ability. He needs time to develop his game and to get stronger.
“He can be great today, but the game is getting better and better, and he will need to keep developing himself. He has the right mentality. We have had some really good chats and you can see in him that he wants to get better and better.”
Romeu added: “I have told him that we will be doing extra hours to keep ourselves fit and to play as many games as we can. We are competitive. He has to be there and that will make us all better. He has to know that he has to work harder than us, run better than us or he will not be playing.”
Will Finnigan have a big future at Southampton, like Romeu suspects?
Finnigan stepped up to plug gaps in the Southampton ranks during pre-season and has clearly left an impression on Romeu. Coaches at Staplewood also adore the teen prospect, Hampshire Live note, and the club have high hopes for his future.
Hasenhuttl, particularly, is keeping a close eye on his development with a view to further chances in the first-team. The Athletic report the Austrian is a big fan of Finnigan, who could make his Premier League debut this season.
But Hasenhuttl will not rush Finnigan into the Southampton fold too quickly as, like Romeu notes, he needs to adapt. Time training in the senior rank will help his development and minutes could follow in the cups. The Saints visit Sheffield United – who are struggling in the Championship this season – in the Carabao Cup on September 21.
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