All proceeds from this event will be invested into the local community through Saints Foundation’s projects.
Supporters will be given the chance to have the full player experience, culminating in a once in a lifetime event here at St Mary’s Stadium.
To brush up on their skills before the main event, the players will be invited for a full tour of the state-of-the-art Staplewood Training Centre, followed by a once in a lifetime opportunity to be trained by Claude Puel and his First Team coaching staff.
On Sunday 28th May, the winners will be welcomed to St Mary’s to take part in the specially organised match versus their heroes, walking out through the tunnel in the official Saints kit, to then arrive onto the hallowed turf.
The event will culminate with the winners joining their footballing icons for post-match refreshments in one of our luxury hospitality suites, where they will have the chance to share their stories and memories about the club.
Auction bids start at £990 for each position and buy now prices are £1990. Places can be secured here.
Fans can also purchase a raffle ticket for £10, with two winners getting the chance to participate in the training session with Claude Puel, as well as playing 45 minutes each in centre midfield in the game at St Mary’s. The two winning raffle tickets will be drawn at random by Friday 5th May at 5pm.
Southampton’s James Ward-Prowse (£5.0m) and Manchester United’s Jesse Lingard (£5.6m) earn Fantasy Premier League Dream Team bows following double-figure returns in Gameweek 29.
With a full programme of fixtures, Crystal Palace were the only side to boast more than one representative in the weekly XI, as their centre-back pairing make the cut following a third consecutive clean sheet.
The Sunderland goalkeeper earns a third Dream Team call-up after registering a clean sheet, save point and three bonus points in the goalless draw with Burnley. The 10-point haul gave Pickford a first double-digit score of the season and his first maximum bonus. He is picked ahead of Tom Heaton (£5.1m), with whom he was tied with for both points and Bonus Points System (BPS) tally, as he is £1m cheaper.
The top-scoring player in Gameweek 29 with 17 points, Dawson scored with a pair of headers in West Bromwich Albion’s 3-1 win over Arsenal to earn a first Dream Team appearance. He has netted three goals in his last four starts but, with nine bookings for the season, is one caution away from a two-match suspension.
Another Dream Team debutant, Sakho’s impact on the Eagles’ backline has been substantial with clean sheets gained in each of his three appearances following Saturday’s 1-0 victory over Watford. The Frenchman has also collected maximum bonus points in both his last two starts, with an 82% pass completion bettering any Palace team-mate.
Slotting alongside his centre-back partner, Tomkins earns a second Dream Team appearance of the campaign. With more clearances, blocks and interceptions (83) than any other Palace defender since claiming a starting role in Gameweek 19, he continues to keep Scott Dann (£5.2m) out of the side.
Despite suffering a 2-1 loss at Tottenham Hotspur, Ward-Prowse’s second-half strike was enough to earn the midfielder a Dream Team debut. Found in only 0.4% of FPL squads, he has started seven of the last eight Gameweeks and produced two goals, an assist and five bonus points in his previous five.
Deployed in a central-attacking role behind the lone striker, Lingard was handed a first start since Gameweek 20 at Middlesbrough. He took his opportunity to impress by blasting a first goal of the season, though suffered a knock to make him an early doubt for Gameweek 30.
A superb free-kick, along with three bonus points in the Hammers’ defeat by Leicester City, secured a third Dream Team appearance. Lanzini has produced double-figure hauls in three of the last five Gameweeks.
The Brazilian scored his sixth goal of the season as Chelsea beat Stoke City at the bet365 Stadium. Willian claims a fourth Dream Team appearance, surprisingly surpassing both Eden Hazard (£10.2m) and Diego Costa (£10.7m), who have earned three call-ups apiece.
The Toffees striker stretched his lead at the top of the FPL forward standings after providing another two goals and an assist for his 46.5% ownership. Finding the net in each of his last six Goodison Park outings, Lukaku was again the Gameweek’s most popular captain choice, with more than a million FPL managers entrusting the Belgian with the armband.
Leading the Cherries’ attack for a third successive Gameweek, the striker’s season-high 12-point tally in the win over Swansea City was enough to earn a maiden Dream Team call-up. Only two FPL forwards – Lukaku and Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero (£12.7m) – have fired more shots than Afobe’s nine over the last three Gameweeks.
A goal and an assist at London Stadium took the Foxes striker to 29 points from the last three Gameweeks, ensuring that he is a key target for FPL managers. Vardy is the second-most popular transfer target since Saturday’s deadline, attracting 40,000+ new owners.
Saints head to Stamford Bridge on Tuesday 25th April, with kick-off set for 7.45pm BST, as they look to replicate last season’s 3-1 victory at the Blues.
We have received an initial allocation of 1,512 tickets for the match, which will go on sale in the following order:
• Monday 27th March (9am): Season Ticket holders who have attended at least FIVE domestic away games this season.
• Tuesday 28th March (9am): Season Ticket holders who have attended at least THREE domestic away games this season.
• Wednesday 29th March (9am): Season Ticket holders who have attended at least TWO domestic away games this season.
• Thursday 30th March (9am): Season Ticket holders who have attended at least ONE domestic away game this season.
• Friday 31st March (9am): All Season Ticket holders.
• Monday 3rd April (9am): Official Members.
• Tuesday 4th April (9am): General sale.
Please note, all sales dates are subject to remaining availability. The EFL Cup final does not count as a domestic away game.
Tickets will be priced as follows:
£30.00 for Adults
£23.50 for Over-65s
£23.50 for Under-20s
Please note, tickets bought in person at the Ticket Office will not be issued at the point of sale, and will instead be posted to you at a later date.
We will also receive an allocation of six pairs of Wheelchair and Enabler tickets, issued free of charge. Ambulant Disabled tickets are also available free of charge. In order for us to issue Wheelchair or Ambulant spaces, the Club must previously have received proof of disability from the supporter.
Please also note that for any concessionary tickets purchased, proof of age will be required on entry into the stadium.
Coach Travel can be purchased for this game, priced at £19 per person. Coaches will depart St. Mary’s Stadium at 15:00, Eastleigh at 15:15, Winchester at 15:30 and Fleet at 16:00.
Tickets are sold subject to the Ticket Terms and Conditions and the Ticketing Policy.
Which Premier League club has the most international call-ups?
Which Premier League club will be bidding farewell to the most players during the international break? We’ve taken an in-depth look at the squad around the globe…
The race for the title, for Europe and the battle for survival will be put on the back burner over the next fortnight as the first intermission to the domestic calendar in 2017 takes place.
However, with World Cup Qualifiers and friendlies on the horizon, the games continue to come thick and fast for international footballers.
They will be flying all over the world to represent their countries, but which Premier League club will be letting go of the most players? Find out in the list below…
Scott Arfield (Canada), Tom Heaton (England), Michael Keane (England), Robbie Brady (Republic of Ireland), Jeff Hendrick (Republic of Ireland), Stephen Ward (Republic of Ireland), Sam Vokes (Wales).
Sky customers can now upgrade to Sky Sports and get 12 months for just £18 per month. Upgrade now!
ENGLAND new boys James Ward-Prowse and Nathan Redmond have been held up as shining examples of Saints’ dedication to youth by proud team-mate Oriol Romeu.
Saints command a reputation of bringing through young players, nurturing them and helping on to the international stage.
And now two more of the club’s stars could make their national team debuts, with Ward-Prowse and Redmond expected to play some part in the Three Lions’ friendly against Germany tonight.
Romeu harbours his own aspirations of breaking into his country’s side, Spain, but for now is only delighted for Ward-Prowse and Redmond.
“It’s very good for this club [for Ward-Prowse and Redmond to be called up] because they are trying to get young players in and develop them,” he said. “Prowsey and Redmond are just one of those examples.”
Ward-Prowse, 22, joins the likes of Luke Shaw, Calum Chambers, Adam Lallana, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Theo Walcott in coming through the club’s Staplewood Academy to become a member of the England squad.
Meanwhile Redmond, 23, is inducted in to a group of players to have been brought from elsewhere to St Mary’s and broken into their respective national sides, like Jay Rodriguez, Graziano Pelle, Jose Fonte, and Rickie Lambert.
“I’m just happy to see them having their rewards for what they’ve been doing throughout the years,” Romeu continued.
“Nathan has started the season very well, scoring goals and he’s been called up now, so it’s just very good.
“They both deserve to be called up.
“The last one or two months for Prowsey have been very good.
“He’s playing in a position he hasn’t played much in before but he’s playing very well, he‘s adapted amazingly and it’s good to see them having these opportunities and these rewards.”
Romeu has been in exceptional form himself this campaign, becoming a key player at Saints since Victor Wanyama’s departure.
But as many of his team-mates join-up with their national teams, the defensive midfielder remains at Staplewood to train with the Saints men not out on duty.
The 25-year-old has ambitions of breaking in the Spanish team, but at present doesn’t mind focusing his time solely on domestic football.
“I’m just more focused on what’s going on here. If something comes I’ll be very pleased and happy but I’m focused on my team,” he said.
Usually an international break represents an opportunity to reflect and, for some who aren’t out on national service, a chance to recover.
But Saints have had just two games in a sleepy March and Romeu would rather build momentum with a run of games.
He said: “We’ve rested enough. We want to play more games now. We’ve only played twice in a month and now next month is going to be very busy.
“Now we have to make sure we’re physically ready for the next challenge in the month coming.
“We want to get higher [in the Premier League] – we want to get a better position in the table.”
Romeu has an optimist’s view of the lack of games.
“Looking at the positive side, we have been in a very strong physical condition and that has probably given us more chance to win and play better,” he said.
“We would have loved to play more games and now it’s a pity to stop playing because personally I’d rather have another game next week.”
JAMES Ward-Prowse takes education very seriously – and he’s keeping to that same mantra even after reaching the senior England squad.
His eagerness to listen and absorb advice has seen the 22-year-old accelerate further in his career than many of his age.
Saints boss Claude Puel recently praised the England new boy’s attitude – even labelling him the perfect son in law.
Puel added that Ward-Prowse “makes progress because he listens”, he’s an intelligent player, the St Mary’s chief concluded.
And as the down to earth Staplewood Academy graduate explains, ahead of a potential Three Lions debut against world champions Germany tonight in Dortmund, he sees his England chance as an opportunity to listen, learn and develop more.
Even as a tyro, Ward-Prowse was eager to investigate different ways of learning, even going beyond the comfort zone of the surroundings of Saints’ academy.
As a teenager the Portsmouth-born midfielder headed out to Hampshire non-league side Havant & Waterlooville, citing an opportunity to toughen up during training sessions with grizzled semi-pros.
Ward-Prowse believes that experience helped him become a man quicker than most, and his latest milestone with the national team certainly suggests maturity beyond his 22 years.
England’s more seasoned players should, then, expect the Saints man to be asking a few questions on the fields of St George’s Park, the national team’s training headquarters.
“I’m going to use it to benefit me as a player and increase my knowledge of the game,” Ward-Prowse says about his England call.
“I can’t wait to draw on every ounce of knowledge from other players who have been in the group before to help me as a player.”
It is not just a willingness to listen that has aided Ward-Prowse’s development, because he’s also been programmed with an insatiable desire for progress since a young age.
Saints posted a video on social media of a fresh-faced 13-year-old Ward-Prowse talking about his goals for the future.
Along with telling us that his favourite subject at school was geography, he also laid down with gusto that his target long-term was to play for England.
At that point in his fledgling career it was nothing but a pipe dream, but his hard work and perseverance has now all paid off.
“There was a little bit of embarrassment (when Saints posted the video) but that’s what has moulded me as a young player,” he said.
“I think it’s every young player’s dream to play for England,” he added.
“To be given that opportunity and chance to represent your country and do everyone proud is a great honour.
“Should the chance come this week, I’ll be ready to take it.”
It was clear on Ward-Prowse’s arrival at St George’s on Monday the bond he has with new England boss Gareth Southgate.
The pair shared a warm handshake and there was some chit chat about his goal at Tottenham on Sunday.
When talking to Ward-Prowse it is clear the affection he has for Southgate – the man who gave him his under-21s chance in 2013 and later the captaincy of his Young Lions side.
It seems the boss, who is taking charge of his first game as permanent manager tonight, is a big advocate of bringing through youth – especially when they are well known in the England set-up.
“Obviously having worked with Gareth before, he’s made it clear to us in the 21s that there is that pathway there to the senior team,” Ward-Prowse said.
“It is a positive thing not only for myself and Nathan, but throughout the squad - the likes of Raheem, John Stones, Ross Barkley.
“They are players that have also come through as well, so it is a positive that if you are doing well at a young age you’ll get a chance.”
Ward-Prowse knew at the beginning of the season that he wanted to try and make another step up.
Having been still fairly inexperienced under Mauricio Pochettino, the midfielder was not really a key component of the Argentine’s high-pressing Saints side.
But then, following the high volume of departures from St Mary’s in the summer of 2014 - including Pochettino’s exit to Tottenham, it was expected that Ward-Prowse would come to the fore and force his way into the side.
However, Ronald Koeman never entrusted him with a prominent role, which led to two seasons of wondering whether or not he would ever make a full breakthrough to become a regular starter on the south coast.
That has all started to change now, though.
Puel has handed Ward-Prowse a place in his first 11 – he has started the last five games, including an impressive performance in the EFL Cup final at Wembley recently. He knew if he could get a run in the team and keep “plugging away” recognition on the international stage would not be far away.
“I mean, I think you know yourself as a player the level you’re playing at. You always want to do well for your club,” he said.
“If you get the recognition that’s great, but that’s the target you’re always plugging away at.
“If I am able to continue good form at Southampton then that call will eventually come and thankfully it did.”
He has played 34 times under Puel during “a whirlwind season”.
“At the start of the season I wanted to make sure that I made the most of it and made sure that I took a step up,” he said.
“I feel like I have done that so far but it has been a whirlwind season so far and I am sure there will be a lot of ups and downs to come as well.”
Southgate referred to Ward-Prowse’s display at the national area at the end of February, when Saints lost 3-2 to Manchester United in the EFL Cup final, as one of the main reasons for his call-up.
“It’s obviously an incredibly proud feeling for me,” Ward-Prowse says about the Three Lions selection.
“It was a career ambition to reach the senior squad. It is an ambition I’ve had a for a very long time.
“I’ve been working very hard at achieving this and it is great to obviously to get that little bit of recognition.”
Ward-Prowse is hoping to convert that “little bit of recognition” into a regular place in the England team, who he feels has a bright future under Southgate.
He’ll be hoping to impress tonight in the friendly against the Germans at the Signal Iduna Park in Dortmund.
“I think very exciting,” he said, when asked what future England have under the new boss.
“For me stepping into the senior team, you only have to look around at the wealth of experience that we’ve got, the young players coming through and all the quality around the team.
“It is exciting moving forward and hopefully I can be a part of that.”
Southgate gathered his squad together at St George’s before heading off to Germany and gave a talk about his own career.
“It is one that the under-21s have received before, which sort of highlighted about the highs and lows of a career and the ambitions that he sees for us.
“And you know, we want to establish ourselves as a top team in the world.
“So it is all about plugging away at those goals and making sure that what we do now stands us in good stead for when we reach major tournaments.”
Ward-Prowse has hailed former under-21s boss Southgate’s devotion to youth.
“I think obviously from a young players’ perspective, he gives young players a chance which is great,” he said.
“He is a very proud and passionate Englishman, who wants to see us do well. I couldn’t think of anyone better to fulfill the role.
“He lets us play with freedom, he wants you to express yourself.”
One of the talking points of last summer’s miserable Euro 2016 campaign, which ended in humiliating defeat to lowly Iceland in the last 16 in France, was the lack of leadership within the England set-up.
Ward-Prowse, who sees himself as a leader after captaining the under-21s, believes Southgate will implement a similar system to the one he had with the Young Lions, which asks the players to take more responsibility.
“I think from my experience in the under-21s, we had a mini-leadership group within the team,” he said.
“The idea was not only to have one captain but sort of four, five, six main leaders within a team.
“Certainly looking around the players that are at the minute, we have definitely have got that and more.
“I think in high-pressure moments it’s about those leaders on the pitch taking responsibility and I think that’s something that he will try to implement as his time increases with the squad.”
And, in a slight hark back to that video filmed almost ten years ago, Ward-Prowse laid down some long-term targets, but this time as a fully fledged England international rather than an excited youth dreaming of the future.
“We want to be the best in the world,” he said.
“If you want to win major tournaments, then you’ve got to become that sort of team.
“We want to make sure we give ourselves a chance to succeed.”
MUM’S literally the word for Nathan Redmond, who has been told by his mother, Michelle, “it’s just the start” after his first England senior call-up.
Redmond’s mum has always been a big influence on his career.
So when the 23-year-old was called into Gareth Southgate’s Three Lions squad, you can imagine the euphoria that greeted the Saints attacker when he told his mum.
“When I phoned her she started screaming,” he smiled. “She said ‘finally, you did it!’ because the last few seasons I’ve been in the Premier League and that’s been one of my goals to play consistently and try and get into the senior side.
“She was ecstatic for me and at the same time she said ‘it just starts now, you’ve worked hard to get here, now you’ve got to stay here’.
“This will only continue if I carry on my form at Southampton.”
Redmond, who will be hoping to make his England debut tonight against Germany, admits it has been an up and down campaign during his first season at St Mary’s, with the word “adapting” a term he uses.
The former Birmingham City youngster, who Saints bought from Norwich for £10m last summer, has had to acclimatise to playing up front this term, although has now returned to a more familiar role out wide.
“Every season has its ups and downs, I’ve been adjusting to play up front in the first part of the season,” he said.
“That was a bit different but I was open to the challenge and we had a lot of games in the first part of the season with the Europa League, so it was just adapting to playing every three days again.
“But second half of the season we’ve picked it up and got into the cup final, which is a massive achievement.
“To get to a cup final in the first season at the club was something I was extremely happy with.
“I feel like I’ve improved my understanding of the game and that’s credit to the football club.”
VOTE: Which rule changes would you like to see in football?
Which rule changes would you like to see in football? As part of Support The Ref week, you can have your say…
Sky Sports News HQ and Sky Sports.com will be focusing on the role of the officials in football in our Support The Ref week - and we want to hear from you about the future of refereeing and rules in the game.
If it was up to you, which rules would you bring into the game, and which would you scrap? Are offsides an unnecessary nuisance? Should players really be booked for taking their shirt off? And who exactly should be allowed to complain to the referee?
Should football adopt rules from others sports like basketball and rugby? Would time-outs work? Should refs wear microphones?
And finally, would football benefit from video technology?
We asked you to get in touch with your suggestions for rule changes in the game, and we compiled a list of the best. Vote up on those suggestions you like, and down on those you don’t, and we’ll reveal the results later this week…
Make sure you tune into SSNHQ on Wednesday, where guests will be discussing the merits of technology in football.
The prospect of an international break is no longer greeted warmly by English football fans.
But two men in particular will be thrilled by an impending chance to prove their worth in a clash against ‘old foes’ Germany and a 2018 World Cup qualifier versus Lithuania; James Ward-Prowse and Nathan Redmond.
The Southampton duo, aged 22 and 23 respectively, have been rewarded for some stellar form for the South Coast outfit with their first senior call-ups.
Given that the pair have a combined total of 60 Under-21 caps, some would argue that it is a case of ‘about time too’.
Yet a proportion of others are adamant Gareth Southgate’s first squad as permanent England manager proves that the nation’s current crop of players are nothing to get excited about.
The words bang and average have sprung to many a mind. But is this squad really as weak as some would suggest? Or do the newbies deserve their opportunity?
Southampton legend Matt Le Tissier is well placed to assess the youngsters’ development.
And the 48-year-old is convinced an upward curve culminating in last month’s controversial EFL Cup final defeat to Manchester United suggests the duo have forced their way into the fold on merit.
“Their potential has been spoken about for quite a while and in the past few weeks they’ve really upped their game,” Le Tissier told Standard Sport.
"They both had excellent games in the [EFL] Cup final which brought them more to peoples’ attention.
"There was a spell earlier in the season when Redmond was struggling for form in front of goal - he looked a little bit nervous - but in the last few weeks he’s improved on that and rightfully he’s got a chance to prove himself.
"James Ward-Prowse has been involved in the Under-21s for a long time and we’ve always known he’s had the quality there.
“It was just a case of getting a long run in the team and putting in consistent performances,” added Le Tissier.
Neither midfielder has enjoyed a meteoric rise to the top. One-club man Ward-Prowse is a product of Southampton’s youth system - and a proud one at that.
The capable technician has been a regular since Southampton’s return to the top-flight in 2012 and rated highly by the likes of Mauricio Pochettino, Ronald Koeman and now Claude Puel.
Redmond began his career with hometown club Birmingham City before joining Norwich in 2013. Three years with the Canaries saw his stock rise steadily and a switch to Southampton last summer has given Redmond an ideal platform to build upon.
He has featured in all but one of Southampton’s top-flight fixtures this season and Ross Barkley (53) is the only Englishman with more key passes than Redmond (43).
The importance of playing regularly should not be understated and is - crucially - rarely a luxury afforded to those at the nation’s biggest clubs.
Simply being on the payroll - or substitutes’ bench - of a top-four team has previously seen players looked upon favourably when compared to those battling away in mid table.
But the pool of players to choose from with Champions League experience is quickly evaporating and England casting their nets into the mid to lower reaches of the Premier League could soon become the norm.
Southgate’s squad reflects that with 12 players included in the original 26-man selection who ply their trade for a club outside of the Premier League’s top six - later reduced to 11 after Michail Antonio withdrew nursing a hamstring problem.
The Hawthorns, Goodison Park and St. Mary’s may not be the most fashionable places to play but those operating outside of the limelight are surely worthy of consideration?
Le Tissier, whose own international career yielded just eight caps after being born into an era blessed with a wealth of forward talent, is convinced big-club bias is on the way out due to necessity rather than choice.
“He’s mixed it up a bit, for sure,” Le Tissier said of Southgate’s squad.
"England managers recently have been forced to move away from big-club bias because there aren’t too many Englishman who are playing regularly for the big clubs.
"His hand has been forced a bit there. By all accounts [Wayne] Rooney was fit for selection and hasn’t been picked which is quite a statement.
"You’d like to think an England manager would pick players who are in form, regardless of what club they’re at.
“That does get easier for them now that the competition is not quite as hot as it was 20 years ago,” Le Tissier added.
The current crop of young hopefuls attempting to force their way into the senior side cannot be described as a Golden Generation. But does that matter? It didn’t exactly turn out very well for the last one, did it?
Tapping into the talent on offer at so-called smaller clubs is to be welcomed - not dismissed - if Southgate is to successfully craft the team England craves.
Matt Le Tissier is supporting Jeff Stelling’s latest unbelievable walking challenge for Prostate Cancer UK. Stelling aims to raise £500,000 on his March for Men. That’s 15 walking marathons in 15 days from June 2-16, from Exeter City to Newcastle United – St James Park to St James’ Park. For more details go to prostatecanceruk.org/jeffsmarch
The mega event is part of Prostate Cancer UK’s wider walking programme, March for Men, which includes a trio of Local Walks across Father’s Day weekend, including one in London on Saturday, June 17th. British dancer Wayne Sleep, is set to front the march and walk with his family and friends at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London. To find out more about the London walk go to marchformen.org
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