Southampton would cruise through to the next round of the FA Cup on Tuesday night, an unfamiliar Saints side to the one that Russell Martin usually plays week in week out in the Championship still managing to do the job in a 3-0 win.
Martin could well have bemoaned the fact that his side had to endure a replay – only piling on more fixtures to the ever-busy Southampton calendar – and decided to freshen things up as a result by dropping the likes of Adam Armstrong and Taylor Harwood-Bellis to utilise his full squad.
Known for having a fruitful Academy on the South Coast, with the likes of Gareth Bale and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain going on to have distinguished careers after coming through at the second-tier club, the youngsters Martin selected for this tie with the Hornets shone with one defender in particular catching the eye.
Jayden Meghoma's numbers at youth level
Starting in the original match at Vicarage Road before this replay back on home turf, Saints youngster Jayden Meghoma is certainly one to keep tabs on from a Southampton perspective when it comes to their conveyor belt of impressive youth players.
Making 28 appearances for the Southampton U18s and U21s to date, after joining the club from Tottenham Hotspur in 2022, Meghoma has a single assist next to his name from those games played.
Now a five-time England U18 international also, the 17-year-old breakout star will just aim to keep his feet planted firmly on the ground despite all the hype that surrounds him.
The teenager didn't look out of his comfort zone playing against the Hornets in either game when pushing through to make an impact already in the senior fold, with Martin even openly praising Meghoma this campaign when selected.
Meghoma's numbers at senior level
That glowing appraisal from his manager came after Meghoma's senior debut versus Walsall in the cup, Martin going on to state that the 17-year-old's performance was "outstanding" versus the visiting Saddlers.
His first-team opportunities wouldn't just dry up after this, however, with Meghoma now onto four appearances in total which included a standout display in the 1-1 draw at Vicarage Road before last night's thumping win.
In that initial tie, the Southampton number 29 would show tremendous defensive resilience for a teenage talent – winning 100% of the duels that came his way up against Valerien Ismael's side.
Minutes played
90
Touches
59
Accurate passes
39/41 (95%)
Key passes
2
Duels won
2/2 (100%)
Moreover, the talented 17-year-old would notch up two key passes in a Saints back four that prides itself on playing out from the back with unerring composure.
There could well be similarities between Meghoma and Kyle Walker-Peters, with both full-backs coming through at Tottenham before switching allegiances to the Saints.
Likewise, both are expressive defenders who aren't just content at sitting back and fulfilling their standard defensive duties.
Walker-Peters showcased this during Southampton's big 4-0 win over Sheffield Wednesday last month, registering a shot on goal venturing forward with pace to burn alongside notching up two key passes.
Meghoma is still some way off from breaking into the Southampton first-team fold and staying there, but the teenager could do far worse than attempting to replicate Walker-Peters' career journey.
With talk that Walker-Peters could be off from St Mary's in the near future owing to significant transfer interest in the entertaining defender, Martin will hope the likes of Meghoma can soften the blow of any first-team departures by blossoming into a new exciting star for the St Mary's masses to cheer on.
