SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND - MARCH 03: Detail view of a corner flag ahead of the Premier League match between Southampton and Stoke City at St Mary's Stadium on March 3, 2018 in Southampton, England. (Photo by Jordan Mansfield/Getty Images)
Southampton: Saints let PL star leave for £0 in 2009, now he’s worth £22m
How could Southampton not see the England star’s potential?
Southampton’s 11-year Premier League tenure came to an end last season, with the South Coast club finishing bottom of the table.
Saints fans must ponder how a side that played in front of a sold-out St. Marys Stadium in the UEFA Europa League seven years ago will have to entirely rebuild a group that appeared to be on the rise.
A club with the likes of Duan Tadi, Virgil van Dijk, and Sadio Mane is now recruiting Championship grade players while wiping out their roster in order to reclaim as much money as possible.
The Hampshire-based team was a defensive circus act, surrendering 73 goals (the second most in the league) as their opponents couldn’t stop hitting the back of Gavin Bazunu’s net.
If the Saints had kept former Southampton academy player Tyrone Mings on their books, they could have been more defensively robust.
The now-Aston Villa center-back has been tearing up the Premier League, earning him a few England caps in the process.
Why did Southampton release Mings?
Most of the time, the academy coaches at Staplewood are spot on with their assessments of the players.
After all, they are a football club that has ascended from League 1 to the promised land of the Premier League, thanks in large part to the involvement of academy players in the first squad.
To think, Southampton had Adam Lallana and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain on their books in League 1.
Mings, on the other hand, was a different story.
The now 6 foot 5 “titan,” as Sky Sports journalist Dan Bardell describes him, was ironically released owing to his diminutive stature.
Mings, who was 5 feet 8 inches tall at the time, was notified by Staplewood coaches in 2009 that he would no longer be an academy player, citing his height as the main reason.
There was a possibility for the now-England international to stay with the Hampshire club, but Southampton’s youth system was experiencing funding cuts, and the young defender was deemed surplus to requirements.
How did Mings’ career play out?
Life for the ball-playing centre-back was particularly rosy following his release from Southampton. Mings found himself living in a homeless shelter at a young age and had to work pulling pints in his local pub.
Mings remarked about his experience living in a shelter:
“I’m frequently asked about my experiences growing up in a homeless shelter. I was approximately 7 or 8, but what we lacked in financial resources, we more than made up for in love and support as a family.
“It probably taught me the value of having a close support group of friends and family on which to lean when things aren’t going well so that you can make the best of a bad situation.”
Mings’ aim of becoming a professional footballer was kept alive by his perseverance, and like many youngsters who are released from academies, he often finds his feet in non-league.
The now Aston Villa defender started his career at non-league side Yate Town before moving on to Chippenham Town where he excelled with Football league clubs watching his exciting progress.
The “class act,” as Bardell put it, got the big break he was waiting for when he signed for Championship club Ipswich Town in 2012.
The 6 foot 5 defender would spend the following three seasons at Portman Road, where he made 63 appearances for Tractor Boys, scoring one goal and assisting on eight others.
The swiftly growing Ipswich defender was making huge advances in his game in Norfolk when he was signed by Premier League newcomers Bournemouth in an £8 million deal in 2015.
Given that he was signed for only £10k, this is not a bad bit of business.
Who else was interested in Mings?
The Bath-born defender was also close to joining south London outfit Crystal Palace and Premier League giants Arsenal.
The Eagles were looking for defensive reinforcements at left-back and Mings was identified as a target, however, Ipswich rejected the incoming £3.5m bid for the Englishman.
Arsene Wenger was reportedly a keen admirer of the then 21-year-old and when asked if he would sign the promising Ipswich player he said:
“He is one of the young players we follow.”
Mings was added to the very long list of players whom Wenger could have signed and went on to achieve great things.
The then Bournemouth man would pack his bags for potentially the final time in his career as he switched the beaches of the south coast to the urban city that is Birmingham as he signed for Aston Villa in a deal worth £25m in 2019.
How has Mings played at Villa?
Former Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard described Mings as a “fantastic footballer” and “dominant” in the Midlands.
Last season, the £100,000-per-week player was the excellent ball-playing centre-back who we all know and love.
Mings led the Villa squad in both accurate passes (46.0) and long balls per (3.0) 90. His long palls per 90 were on level with Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne, and the England defender trailed Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes (3.1).
According to FotMob, the 18-cap England international also proved his exceptional defensive qualities, ranking first in clearances (4.5) and blocks per 90 (0.6).
It’s safe to say Mings has adjusted to life at Villa Park very well.
Is Mings Southampton’s biggest howler?
The Saints have a proven track record for nurturing some of the finest British footballers and their academy has previously been on par with some of the big six teams.
James Ward-Prowse, Luke Shaw and Gareth Bale are the most notable names to have been produced at Staplewood.
However, like most top academies there will be a few blunders, such as the now £22m valued Mings
.
| Name | Current club | Sold for | Highest market value |
| Tyrone Mings | Aston Villa | Released | £26m |
| Ben White | Arsenal | Released | £45m |
| Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain | Beşiktaş | £15m | £34m |
White is another absolute shocker for Southampton – like Mings, the now Arsenal man was released for nothing and has gone on to represent the Three Lions at international level.
To make matters worse, fellow south coast club Brighton & Hove Albion were able to sell the former Saints academy prospect for a very healthy £50m.
The Championship side only managed to get one season out of Oxlade-Chamberlain who could have solidified a first-team spot in Southampton’s midfield in the Premier League.
They did manage to get £15m for the then 17-year-old, however, the UEFA Champions League winner could have left St. Marys with a bigger legacy left behind like Ward-Prowse.
The academy coaches and recruitment team at Staplewood can move past the decision to let Mings and White go for free after all they are continuing to produce more promising players such as Tyler Dibling.
What Southampton need to do is try to avoid the past repeating itself.
They have let a few of their wonderkids go with the very highly-rated England youth international Jimmy-Jay Morgan leaving the south coast for a place in Chelsea’s academy.
