Former Southampton youth talent Nathan Tella has been revealing all on his career to date after winning the Bundesliga with Bayer Leverkusen last season.
Nathan Tella left Southampton permanently last summer after a successful Championship-winning season on loan at Burnley the year before.
Burnley pushed hard to sign Tella ready for their return to the Premier League but were priced out by Southampton who saw the Nigeria international as key to their own hopes of Championship promotion.
However, the club were made a surprise offer by Bayer Leverkusen that was simply too good to turn down as the German club bid £20 million for the winger.
It was move that panned out perfectly for Tella, who played an important role in a historic double-winning season for Leverkusen under Xabi Alonso.
Nathan Tella speaks on ‘wasted’ time at Southampton
Tella joined Southampton’s academy in 2017 following his release from Arsenal and made his debut for the club in the first game back after the Premier League returned following a break due to Covid in June 2020.
He would go on to score his first and only Premier League goal against Fulham before the 2019/20 season was over, but made just seven league starts the following campaign.
Tella has been speaking in an extensive interview on the Rising Ballers Youtube channel where he revealed he felt the 2020/21 season was ‘wasted’, saying: “I did two seasons with the first-team at Southampton.
“My first season I did really well. You know, I scored which I was so happy about. I played well, I think I got Young Pro of the Year at Southampton which I was like ‘wow’… didn’t expect it because obviously we had a lot of young players that played that season.
“Then the following season I felt like I was ready to play…be involved and have more of a part in the team, make a name for myself so to say.
“Had a good pre-season, then it got to the start of the season and I was on the bench and I didn’t play in the Premier League until about November and that was against Liverpool when we were 4-0 down at half-time.
“Then the rest of the season I was sort of involved, few injuries, but I didn’t have that good of a season. So it was sort of – I don’t want to say I wasted a season – but when I looked back on it that summer I was like ‘I’ve just wasted ten months. I wouldn’t say I’ve improved – I wouldn’t say I’ve got worse – but probably just stayed at the same level.”
Tella has gone from strength to strength since leaving Southampton
With these comments in mind, it has become much clearer why Southampton allowed Tella to join Burnley in loan a season prior to his move to Leverkusen.
Tella obviously felt his development was being stunted and, at 23, needed to be playing regular football.
He got that at Burnley and flourished, scoring 17 goals and providing five assists under Vincent Kompany in the Championship.
The £20 million move to Leverkusen raised eyebrows, with many expecting Tella to have a limited role at the German club.
However, he proved this cynicism wrong as he played 49 games in all competitions as Leverkusen won their first ever Bundesliga title alongside winning the DFB Pokal and losing in the Europa League final.
Southampton may well rue what might have been, with the 25-year-old a revelation in Germany.