Saints will consider loaning out Nathan Dyer next season if they feel it will help restore his confidence.

The young winger has failed to hold down a regular first team place in the Saints line-up despite being in and around the squad for the last two seasons.

In pre-season last summer, it seemed Dyer was on the verge of his big breakthrough after a string of superb displays, but he failed to show the consistency required when the real action got under way.

He finished last season making only infrequent appearances and lacking in confidence.

Saints boss George Burley has never hidden his admiration for Dyer's abilities and believes he can go far in the game.

But he also realises that, after two years with only sporadic first team football and now 19, Dyer needs to get games under his belt to progress further.

He said: "There's no doubt Nathan had a very mixed season. It was up and down and he lost a bit of confidence.

"We'll look at it at the start whether he needs to go out and play regular first team football.

"It's something we'll look at in pre-season as, although he was very much up and down, he's still a young player and it can happen.

"We'll look at it for next season and whether we feel playing regular somewhere would progress his development better."

Burley has utilised the loan system well with young players throughout his career and continued that at St Mary's.

The likes of Andrew Surman and Leon Best have been sent out and then returned to go on to figure in the first team and it could be the same happens with Dyer to restore some of his confidence.

"He started well pre-season and, for whatever reason, he maybe lost a wee bit of confidence," added Burley.

"There were one or two games, particularly away from home, where he did very well but then didn't show the consistency.

"He's another young player with bags of ability and, if you've been around the first team for a couple of seasons and are not playing regular, it can help to go out on loan."