There were impressive performances across the pitch for Southampton on Tuesday night, in a 3-0 win over Watford in an FA Cup fourth round replay.
After a goalless first 45 minutes, a brace from Sekou Mara and Che Adams‘ strike secured a place in the fifth round of the tournament for the Saints.
One other player who looks to have caught the eye of plenty with his performance in that win over Watford on Tuesday, was Jayden Maghoma.
Russell Martin issues glowing Jayden Meghoma praise
Having already played at Under 18s and Under 21s level with Southampton, Meghoma is now forcing his way into the first-team picture for the Saints.
The 17-year-old has now made four senior appearances for Russell Martin‘s side, all of which have come in either the EFL Cup or the FA Cup.
He has also been an unused substitute on several occasions in the league during the current campaign.
Tuesday night’s FA Cup outing gave Meghoma another chance as part of the starting lineup for Southampton, and it appears he may have taken it, from both a Saints and Watford perspective.
Speaking after the game, Martin revealed he had spoken to Watford midfielder Jake Livermore about the teenager’s performance, while praising his development.
Discussing Meghoma, the Southampton boss was quoted by Daily Echo journalist Alfie House as saying:
“I just had a chat with Jake Livermore about how talented a player Jayden Meghoma is. He is mature, calm and intelligent. He is really developing the defensive side of his game.”
Meghoma an exciting prospect for Saints fans
You can certainly understand any excitement that may be developing around Meghoma at Southampton.
To be 17 years old and already making this sort of impression – in the eyes both of your manager and an opposition player – shows the immense amount of promise he possesses.
The fact he is already getting this sort of experience against senior, Championship teams also bodes well for his development, especially give how pleased Martin seems to be with that particular aspect of his game.
As a result, if he is able to continue along this trajectory, it is hard not to imagine that he has the potential to become a big asset for the Saints in the years to come.
With a number of young players already making useful contributions for Southampton this season, the sight of another one in Meghoma taking these sort of steps forward, will surely be something for those associated with the club to relish.