Town defender Tyrone Mings has reflected on Southampton’s decision to release him when he was just 15 and admitted: “They were right.”
Mings will return to St Mary’s on Sunday, for the first time since being shown the door, as a member of the Town squad set to do battle with their Premier League hosts to see who advances to the fourth round stage of the FA Cup.
He turned the clock back to the summer of 2009 when he was released and said: "I would say yes, it was the right decision not to offer me a scholarship, and I’m happy with the way I’ve gone about getting back into the pro game. I think I’ve had a much better, well-rounded upbringing and a sight of what the real world is like.
"If you had told me at the time I was at Southampton that I would get back into the position I’m in now I’d have said ‘Yes, that’s fine’. But obviously the initial disappointment leaves you thinking ‘Will I get back, will I get another chance?’
"It was difficult but I’m happy now that I’ve experienced working life and I wouldn’t change it for anything.”
Mings worked as a mortgage advisor before joining Town just over two years ago but his route back into professional football also took him via the well-known independent school, Millfield, which is in Somerset and has been a breeding ground for a host of international sporting stars, among them rugby legend Gareth Edwards, Olympic champion swimmer Duncan Goodhew and England cricketer Simon Jones.
Mings is quick to credit Millfield with a large amount of the credit for his eventual progress into the professional game — he also had spells at non-league outfits Yate and Chippenham — and explained the background to him being accepted there.
He recalled: "Dave Hedges worked for Southampton in their satellite centre in Bath and his son went to Millfield. I think he also had a few connections at Millfield and he asked them if they would fancy me coming along to take a look at me. I think they had three scholarship spots that year for football.
"Dave told them all about me and I went in and trained with them during the pre-season. The football team went back a week early and after they saw me I picked up a scholarship. I did a bit of B-Tech sport and a bit of AS psychology but there was a lot of free time in the school day, which meant that I could use the gym and things like that, and every day after school we would play football.
"At the time I think it was good that I was away from the game because maybe I would have struggled a bit if I was still at Southampton, whereas at Millfield they had such a wide range of facilities with the swimming pool, the gym and the athletics track.
"They kind of pushed me into doing other sports and I think it was a better time for me to go away and be there, rather than in a football environment where everything is based on performance. But I wouldn’t say it is too easy, the process of becoming a pro footballer, because I think people go through a lot to get where they are now.
"They have to wait a long time and it’s not just gifted to you. When you see people go through the system and then drop out of it at the end of their careers I think it’s more telling because they haven’t really had a taste of what else there is.
"Everyone just knows football then they try to force their way into coaching because that’s the only thing they know. I think I’ve got a better understanding than other people of what happens outside of football. No, I don’t think it’s too easy but it’s a bit too comfortable at times.”