Steve Wigley is now Saints' director of youth.

Reserve team coach Wigley has been handed the task of improving the club's record for producing players since the Academy was set up four years ago.

An England under-21 coach and former assistant Academy director at Nottingham Forest, Wigley will oversee the coaching and development of players of all ages at Saints.

There have been no staff changes - Wigley will combine his job with the reserves in working alongside Academy director Huw Jennings and Malcolm Elias, the head of recruitment

But Wigley knows that the record of Saints' £1.3m a year Academy has to improve.

He said: "There are no two ways about it, we've got to start getting players into the first team. Ultimately that is what the Academy is for, to get the best out of the local area.

"The club has progressed in every way, in its position in the Premier League, in terms of the stadium, the size of the crowd and we've got to make sure that the Academy is progressing as well."

Former Aldershot boss Wigley has been with Saints since July 2001, when he arrived as reserve team boss.

He added: "The overall quality is improving but it needs to improve significantly more. There are clubs our size that are producing players and we've got to start doing the same.

"We want to be in a position where we have three or four players in the first team squad that have progressed from the Academy at any given time.

"We've got to do that, not just get them in the squad, but get them out on the pitch. Academies are a big section of a football club, there's a big expenditure going on and to justify that we have to get players out on the park.

"Gordon Strachan was very much in favour of the change and I work very closely with the first team coaching staff. I and the Academy staff have to try and provide them with the extra players.

"I would take great delight if the manager could turn to me and ask for a right winger and I could provide him with one. That's where I would like to be but it's my neck on the line if things haven't improved in three years' time."

See tonight's Pink for more of Wigley's Academy thoughts.