Southampton star Kyle Walker-Peters loving Championship life despite ankles being left ‘in bits’

NOT many expected Kyle Walker-Peters to stay on in the Championship with Southampton.

The former Tottenham full-back had only ever played Premier League football and many Saints fans had accepted that, like James Ward-Prowse and Romeo Lavia, he would be staying in the top flight after their relegation.

GettyKyle Walker-Peters is loving life at Southampton[/caption]

He’s been thriving in the Championship

But Walker-Peters, 26, stayed put and is thriving under Russell Martin as one of the standout players in the Championship.

His stunning left-footed winner against Bristol City ensured Southampton extended their ten game unbeaten run, the joint-longest of any side in the top four leagues.

Not that the second tier is easy going.

Walker-Peters told SunSport: “I’ve got everything I expected. I’ve been kicked more times than I’ve ever been kicked. My ankles are in bits.

“It is really physical and the games are really high paced. When the game becomes a bit like basketball that is when I really enjoy it.”

The Saints struggled for consistency early on, with Premier League sides looking to pick apart the squad despite their terrible season last term during the window.

Players were in and out of the side as moves developed or collapsed, but Walker-Peters has played every minute since day one.

He added: “Personally I don’t think it makes a difference.

FREE BETS – BEST BETTING OFFERS & NEW CUSTOMER BONUSES

“Once you’re on the pitch, you don’t want to lose and you want to make yourself look as good as possible. If you don’t you’re an idiot.

“Anything can happen in football. At the end of the season I was disappointed.

“I felt like we’d let Southampton down, let the fans down. The first thing in my mind wasn’t: ‘How can I get out of here?’

“The first thing was reflecting on the season. It is tough after a season like that to go and enjoy yourself in the summer.

“I still went on holiday with my cousin to try and clear my mind as much as possible. Sometimes you forget about it then you’ll be sitting in a restaurant and it pops up in your head and you just think: ‘Crap’.”

There is a much happier feeling around the squad now.

There were wholesale changes at boardroom level as well as in the dugout last season, and players and fans are starting to see the fruits of that overhaul.

Relegation can help clubs make the changes which are truly needed – but Walker-Peters feels it never had to go that far.

He said: “Southampton didn’t need to be relegated for that to happen.

“We had such a good group, we still have a good group but we had a group last season which was more than capable of competing and staying up in the Premier League.

“Relegation isn’t the factor to why we’re better now. Things have been sorted out upstairs and we’re in a better place. We have a real clear direction.”

That direction stems from the top, from new director of football Jason Wilcox and Martin – who has complete clarity in how he wants things done.

The manager was recruited from Swansea to implement a new possession heavy style of play.

SIMILARITIES TO POCH

Critics of his football say it can be a lot of passing with little end product, but Walker-Peters sees a bit of one of his, and the club’s, former managers in Martin – a boss he feels is misunderstood by many.

He said: “He is very similar to Mauricio Pochettino in terms of having his style and he’s not going to change.

“I would say he is misinterpreted because it’s definitely not slow. Russell wants control in the game but everything is full intensity.

“Despite Russell being the most extreme manager I’ve worked with in terms of in possession, he still wants that intensity.

“It is the risk. I enjoy it, love it.

“I love the fact that I’ve got a manager who tells me to play out no matter what. That gives the whole team confidence.”

That confidence feeds into a cast iron belief that Ipswich (eight points ahead) and Leicester (nine) can still be caught in the automatic spots.

Walker-Peters said: “If everyone in this team isn’t thinking promotion then we have a problem.”

And promotion, as well as long term goals such as a return to the England squad, are central in Walker-Peters’ thoughts, despite the January window being just around the corner.

He added: “It is not something I have thought about. I’m enjoying my football so it is almost a disturbance I don’t need.

“If something comes I’m sure I’ll know about it but until then I don’t want to think about it.”

GettyThe full-back has no plans to leave the Saints in January[/caption]

Walker-Peters remained at St. Mary’s after relegation last seasonRex