Underrated Southampton playmaker makes puzzled training claim Saints must hear | OneFootball

Southampton's versatile playmaker Kyle Walker-Peters has confessed that he was taken aback by Will Smallbone's quality during team training.

Up until January, Southampton's right flank had been their biggest source of attacking inspiration. Not to discredit other wing profile players but a major factor behind that strength stemmed from Tyler Dibling's trickery.

Regardless, an Old Trafford trip changed everything for the Saints. They lost the most winnable points on paper and if that wasn't humiliating enough, they were deprived of Dibling's services for a considerable timeframe as well.

In this panicking scenario, Kyle Walker-Peters doubled down on his underrated versatile factor.

The 28-year-old has created a sense of disappointment among the fans with his heart set on leaving but he hasn't ignored his Southampton responsibilities just yet. And neither his companions have opted out of these tough Premier League routines.

Now, the regular mainstays have been stepping up massively nowadays but that doesn't mean that they are the only roster members to do so. In the latter category, Will Smallbone is a perfect example of an all-purpose midfield alternative.

Smallbone is rated highly among the Saints squad

Though the 25-year-old finds himself down Simon Rusk's pecking order, his dedication doesn't in the eyes of his teammates.

Recalling an anecdote from Smallbone's training efforts, Walker-Peters told the Daily Echo: "I first came to the club when I was 22, and I remember seeing Will training with the first team and thinking, 'Who is this guy?' because he had so much quality."

As the month comes to a close, there aren't enough reasons to be optimistic about Smallbone's increased first team involvement. Despite that, fatigues and consistently lacklustre performances can't be dismissed at Southampton.

Meaning, a prolonged absence of the finest among the midfield ranks could still see Smallbone accumulating more Premier League minutes than before.