SAINTS manager Ruben Selles expanded on comments he made regarding young midfielder Romeo Lavia, insisting: “When you try to make four steps forward, usually you don’t make the first one.”

The 19 year old has been the subject of media reports this week linking him to the likes of Manchester United and Arsenal during his first season of senior football.

Sky Sports interviewed the Belgian and asked what he thought of the interest and Lavia responded that he does not read it and is instead focused on enjoying his football.

Selles was asked later the same day if he has been impressed by Lavia but insisted he has 'not been' and warned that the youngster needs to ‘step up’ to move forward.

READ MORE: Lavia responds to reports of interest from Man United and others

With a second section of the same press conference embargoed for 10:30PM, Selles was later asked if he could expand on those comments following Lavia’s impressive start to his career.

Daily Echo:

“We are talking about a young player who is in the Premier League for the first time. It has been a very hard season for all of us,” the Spaniard said.

“I think Romeo has all the qualities to be a great player but I don’t think he’s there yet. This is why he didn’t impress me.

“To make the next step, he needs to show more domination in the games, more domination in possession and more leadership on the pitch if he wants to become the thing everyone is saying he is.”

He added: “He needs to give more for me, more for the team, and needs to show more for himself. It is nothing that it is about personally, and it is something the competition is giving him.

“He is growing through the competition, both from the internal competition and in the Premier League. We need to be careful when we talk about kids starting in the Premier League.

“I have no doubt he will be there but he needs to make more steps and everyone around him needs to be calmed down. When you try to make four steps forward, usually you don’t make the first one.

“It is one step at a time, you stay here with us, you perform, you make this team win football matches, you lead on the pitch and in the dressing room and then when the season is finished and everybody is in the Premier League, we can think about something else.

“If we don’t make the target together and we start to put individual targets, then we are not going to make it.”