Walker-Peters insists Southampton are confident after improved results

Only Rotherham have conceded more goals than Southampton this season, however, Russell Martin's side have improved defensively in recent weeks.

After huge defeats to Sunderland and Leicester, Saints conceded just twice in three games prior to the international break, while also keeping their first clean sheet of the season against Stoke.

Speaking to the Daily Echo, Walker-Peters admitted that their 1-0 win in the Potteries, which ended the club's long wait for a clean sheet, has given the squad a huge boost.

“The group have gained some confidence from the last three games. The Rotherham result was disappointing, but we know we played well.

"We performed and we were unfortunate to concede from the one shot that they had on target. It’s one of those - we will go into the next game with confidence.

“Keeping clean sheets is always the focus. We need to do better defensively for sure. We dominate the ball so much that teams know when they get a chance it’s going to be one of the few chances they'll get in the game.

“In those moments we need to defend better. Getting that win at Stoke was really big. Going there everyone speaks about how tough it can be - to show how resilient we are to hold onto the 1-0 lead gave us confidence.”

Walker-Peters was one of the Southampton players who wasn't called upon by his country during the October international break.

That gave the right-back an opportunity to get some much-needed rest after a busy start to life in the Championship.

“The international break has been quite relaxed for us," he continued. "The schedule has been tough up until the break.

"We came in and did a few light training sessions and then had some time off, nothing too tough. The energy and the intensity remain the same - as does the quality of the process.

"That’s something we are trying to pride ourselves on, but it’s obviously a bit harder to train without the whole group if you want to do some tactical work."

He continued: “It’s great to have some time to rest. We are all tired - even if you are not playing as much you are travelling a lot. It’s tough mentally and physically so it’s nice to get that break.”

Southampton are approaching another busy week of three games in the space of eight days, with consecutive away trips to Hull City and Preston adding more miles to the club’s hefty travelling history this season.

“When I leave the training ground, something I like to do a lot is nap,” Walker-Peters added when asked how players can maximise their recovery during a hectic period of fixtures.

“Everyone is different. Some players like to use recovery pumps on their legs, others like to have ice baths at home. It all comes down to the individual.”

Walker-Peters' recovery plan is clearly working as he is the only outfield player to play every minute for Saints this season.

His influence on the field has also continued to grow as the campaign has progressed. The defender's role in the team sees him drive forward with the ball while also needing to track back to help his defence.

The 26 year old enjoys that aspect of the game and has made the fourth most dribbles in the Championship this season (74) with a success rate of 79.39 - the highest in the division. 

“I love it. It’s something that I do anyway, regardless of the system. I think now we are a team that dominates the ball a lot more so I have more opportunities to do that."

Walker-Peters isn’t the only player in the Southampton squad who is fond of taking players on.

Sam Edozie and Kamaldeen Sulemana can often be seen bursting past defenders, while youngster Sam Amo-Ameyaw explained to the Daily Echo that beating players gives him confidence.

“It’s not really something we talk about,” Walker-Peters added. “It’s a natural thing. Some people like dribbling and some people like playing longer passes. Everyone has their own qualities.

“We do have some good dribblers at the club. We often speak about who is the best dribbler - I’ve got to back myself on that one.”

The nature of the Championship schedule means that Saints have another block of five games before the international break rolls around once more.

While that could give the club an opportunity to break their gruelling league schedule down into more manageable chunks, Walker-Peters insists that they don't see it that way.

“We don’t really look at it like that. We just take it game by game. We will be focusing on Hull and we don’t really think too much about the next game after that or too far into the future.”

Hull currently sit level on points with Southampton after 11 games, having lost just twice so far this season.

They are only above Martin’s side on goal difference - meaning they are likely to be a difficult opponent.

They currently rank seventh in the Championship for average possession (55 per cent), while Southampton have averaged the joint most in the division with 63.7 per cent.

Walker-Peters expects that Liam Rosenior’s Tigers will try to control possession, much like Saints, when the two sides meet this weekend.

“We know they are going to want to dominate the ball. We are going to need to press high. It won’t be as easy as some of the other games we have played where teams weren’t as open to building up.

"We will go there and try to win the ball as high up the pitch as we can. I personally enjoyed those games. I think it’s a battle of football.

"It’s a lot harder for the front guys because they have to press, but that doesn’t bother me. Whoever has the most quality usually comes out on top.”