A TRAINING ground tour by director of football Jason Wilcox helped convince Shea Charles it was "clear" Southampton was the right destination for him.

The 19 year old former Manchester City midfielder has arrived at St Mary's with lofty ambitions and a hefty price tag of over £10million - pressure he declares himself "ready" for.

Manchester-born Northern Ireland international Charles became the club's second signing of the summer window when he followed manager Russell Martin's Swansea City defender Ryan Manning.

The Echo’s pre-season tour coverage is supported by Grosvenor Casino

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Charles flew out to Turkey with the team for their pre-season tour, after watching the side lose 2-0 to Portuguese champions Benfica from St George's Park, taking place before his move was made official.

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Inside Southampton's pre-season training session at Goztepe

The pursuit for City's under-21 Premier League 2 title-winning captain lasted more than a couple of weeks but he sat down to chat with the Daily Echo for the first time after training at Goztepe. 

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He remarked that Martin's session was similar to that he'd become accustomed to at Etihad Campus, and told us: "It will always be a tough decision to leave the team you support but it was clear to me that this would be a good option for my career going forward.

"I know Jason from City (where he was academy director) and he was there a long time while I was there, so I know him quite well.

"(Russell Martin) called me a couple of weeks ago and explained his style of play and what he wants from me. It appealed to me and here I am," Charles added.

"Jason showed me around, he gave me a tour around Staplewood and it's a very nice place. It always helps when you know people here."

It has already been made clear to Charles by Martin that he sees him playing in that defensive midfield role but his versatility will come in handy.

Charles is joining a club that already employs a number of his old City teammates, including Romeo Lavia, Gavin Bazunu, Samuel Edozie, Juan Larios and even new under-21 signing Josh McNamara.

"It's always nice to have some familiar faces. A lot of the young players back at City are here and it's good to see them again," Charles said.

"I played with Romeo back at City and he has shown there is a clear pathway here to play professional football. Hopefully, I can have a great season this year. Everyone has been very well welcoming, all the lads. It's been an enjoyable couple of days."

Although young and inexperienced in the senior game, supporters can take confidence in the belief that legendary manager Pep Guardiola has already instilled in Charles.

The treble-winning Spaniard gave Charles his Premier League debut on the final day of the season, having also had him in a Champions League knockout squad versus RB Leipzig in February.

"That was a great day as a City fan, making my debut. Apart from the loss, it was a great day for me," Charles reflected, his Mancunian accent picking up even further. 

"At first it's a bit surreal but you get used to it when you're training with them most days. By the time I made my Premier League debut, they were just the next team up.

"He (Guardiola) just explained what he wants me to do on the pitch and how he wants me to play. I came on as a centre-back so he gave me that confidence that I needed to go on and play."

Charles - who has won Premier League youth league titles in three successive seasons - himself is not surprised clubs in the top two flights keep shopping for City youngsters.

Daily Echo: Exciting Man City midfielder Shea Charles has arrived at Saints

"It's just the way we play. The way we're taught to play is something everyone can learn and play as a team.

"Everyone gets on well, there are not many egos there so it works well," he said

Some eagle-eyed supporters might recognise Charles from a recent fixture at St Mary's - the youngster played 90 minutes of the Under-18 Premier League national final versus Saints in May 2022.

Dropping down from the under-21s for the final few games of the season, Charles helped stir his side - which featured the likes of Rico Lewis, Carlos Borges and goalscorer Adedire Mabude - after Kami Doyle's early opener.

"I remember going 1-0 down and there was quite a loud cheer. I kind of got the team together because we weren't playing how we could play," Charles admitted.

"I tried to sort it out with the team and we went on to win the game which was a great day. That was actually my second under-18 title. Their number six wasn't there so I joined their squad for that.

"It's interesting when you play against different players, I remember playing against Kami and he scored that day. I've known him for a long time, not personally, but I've known him as a footballer."

Charles also adds to the international representatives within the group, having played for Northern Ireland from under-16s and up.

He has eight caps to his name already, including two in the recent June break, which has seen him forge an unlikely relationship with a familiar name on the south coast.

"The main players I look to have been Fernandinho and Rodri but at Northern Ireland, I would say Steven Davis," Charles revealed.

"He was very welcoming to me when I came in and he knows my position. He's a good one to look up to."

"Making my debut was a great feeling and ever since then, I've been part of the team. We're just trying to build and get more success at the international level."