Southampton prodigy wants to copy James Ward-Prowse transformation under Ralph Hasenhuttl | OneFootball

Southampton full-back Tino Livramento can still improve his defending to get even better, according to journalist Tom Barclay.

The 18-year-old has only been at St Mary's for a little over two months after joining from Chelsea in the summer, but he has already made a very positive first impression.

What's the latest news on Livramento?

When Livramento arrived on the South Coast in August, some may have expected him to take his time to settle in, given that he does not turn 19 until November.

He has made an instant impact, though. The youngster has started all seven of Southampton's top-flight fixtures this term, and helped his side keep back-to-back clean sheets against West Ham and Manchester City last month.

He has made the right-back berth his own, and has been one of the team's most consistent performers thus far, receiving an average WhoScored match rating of 6.71, which sees him rank sixth when compared to his teammates.

What has Barclay said about Livramento?

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, Barclay has revealed that Livramento is already looking at ways to improve at this early stage in his career, and has identified two key areas for development.

Talking about Livramento, he said: “He wants to be more aggressive in the way he defends. He wants to be better in the air because he’s aware that he’s quite a tall player, but he’s not as good as he perhaps could be from that point of view.”

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Could Livramento follow in Ward-Prowse's footsteps?

Back at the start of 2019, James Ward-Prowse was not a guaranteed starter at Southampton, and manager Ralph Hasenhuttl stated that he wanted the midfielder to add some aggression to his game.

This criticism seems to have worked wonders for Ward-Prowse, who is now an ever-present in Saints' side, wears the captain's armband and has nine caps at international level.

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Livramento also wants to be more aggressive on the pitch, stamping his authority on matches and proving that he won't be bullied by opposition attackers.

Ward-Prowse has changed his career over the past couple of years, becoming one of the most well-rounded central midfielders in the country, so he is a brilliant example for Livramento to learn from.

If the talented defender can follow in Ward-Prowse's footsteps, he could take his already impressive skillset to the next level, and develop into a major force under Hasenhuttl over the next few seasons.