WHEN Dave Horseman and Louis Carey departed Saints Under-21s for Forest Green in the summer, Olly Lancashire’s ever-changing role at the club changed once more.

Up to then, Lancashire had been training and playing alongside the academy players in his role as player/coach and mentor to the club’s youngsters.

But with coaching numbers low as the club recruited a new Under-21 boss, he stepped up to lead training alongside Lee Skryme, in a move which saw him come off the grass as a player.

He has kept his place as interim assistant since Adam Asghar’s arrival in October, but that is likely to change when the club appoint a new assistant in December.

Lancashire is yet to make an appearance this season, despite being registered. Asked by the Daily Echo if that could change anytime soon, the defender indicated it was unlikely.

“I don’t think it’s going to be an option anymore. I’m at the stage now that I am more than ready to attack the next stage of my career.

“I’m still registered as a player, but we have been fortunate this year to have centre-backs in the building.

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“A part of me still wants to play, but I’m almost 35, I recognise that I am getting on now and I’d like to think that what I’ve done has been quite influential over the past two years.

“Thankfully the club feel the same. The players trust me and know that I want the best for them. Taking that step up to be the coach has been good, I’ve enjoyed working alongside Adam.

“I’ve been trying to develop my skillset. Working alongside Russ and Gilly has been great, I’ve got to see how they do things. I’m trying to take on as much information as I can to develop myself as well as give back to the young boys.”

Lancashire remains open-minded about what the future may hold. He is appreciative that Southampton have allowed him to try working across different aspects of the club and noted his new role will become clearer come Christmas.

One thing he would like to see is the club retain the player/coach role. Other sides like Liverpool and Manchester United still make use of the role with seasoned pros Jay Spearing and Tom Huddlestone serving as an example for their young prospects.

“I think the role is very beneficial. It’s something that we need to speak about as a club to see whether we can bring it back next season,” he continued.

“We see other players like Spearing and Huddlestone teaching the boys from Monday to Friday about how to be professionals, how to do their rehab and how to eat properly.

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“Some of these guys might get to 20 years old having never seen a senior pro. The role is really beneficial, and I’d like to see it again - it’s just up to the club.”

Although producing high-level players is always desired, Saints are also placing a heavy focus on developing good people.

Youth players continue to clean senior players' boots and clean areas of Staplewood to keep them grounded and create natural relationships with first team players. The club also offer scholars an education and life skills programme.

“We are trying to help them maximise their football skills but also their life tools. We all know how tough it is to make it as a professional at the top level. Making sure they are all-rounded human beings has to come first and foremost.

“A lot of the characteristics to have a happy and successful life are relevant in football as well. A good person makes a good player.”

Saints youth players have individually tailored meal plans to ensure they are correctly fuelled for the week ahead.

They are also given a container of vitamin pills to ensure they aren’t lacking in key vitamins. Despite things being made easy for them, Lancashire says they want to ensure players understand decision-making.

“You don’t want to turn these young people into robots. It’s very important that they learn how to make decisions.

“It can be tough in a football environment with our schedules. We are told where to be and what to eat.

“When they reach the age of 18 or 19, that’s when you start to learn about yourself. That’s when they can really learn what’s right for them because everyone is different.”

Alongside his role as a coach, Lancashire also serves as a mentor for the young players who leave the club on loan.

Loans, the club feels, are an integral part of that personal and professional development. Lancashire's role is to provide support for those away from the club and offer advice when needed.

“I go and watch them regularly. I speak to them and their coaches to try and give them advice, not only about the things I’ve done well but also the things I could have done better.

“There aren’t many experiences as a young player that I didn’t go through. That helps with the ups and the downs.

“Having shared the dressing room with them for the past two years helps with the role I am in now. I know that Dom Ballard might need certain things but Ryan Finnigan will need other things.

“We try and do the best for that person, not just in the immediate future, but in the years to come as well.

“It’s a nice mix to have,” Lancashire added when asked how important it is that a player remains in contact with their parent club while out on loan.

“If you support them too much then there is almost no point in the loan. The loan is, in some ways, for them to go out and fend for themselves.

“They always have the foundation of knowing we are here for them, but we also have to make sure we don’t over-support and we allow them to develop and find out about themselves.”

For Saints, the decision when to loan players out comes down to the individual players’ needs. You can’t adopt a "one-size-fits-all approach," says Lancashire. 

Currently, the club will discuss if a player needs to go out on loan if the Premier League 2 is no longer providing an adequate challenge, but the player remains below the quality needed to step up to the first team.

Ballard, for example, scored six goals in his first three PL2 games this season, but likely had his route to first-team football restricted by Adam Armstrong, Che Adams and Ross Stewart.

“When that time comes we will have a conversation with Russ, Jason Wilcox and Andy Goldie about what is best for that player.

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“We felt that it was right for Dom to go out on loan to Reading, but there were other players that we kept here because we felt it would benefit them. It’s been good to get some of the boys out to the Football League.”

Southampton’s Under-21s coaches work from an office which sits right next to the senior staff’s office.

On Martin’s first day at Staplewood, he pulled Lancashire, Horseman and Carey aside to discuss his philosophy.

Martin was keen to establish communications between the first team and the academy and ensure the coaches were aware of what he would expect from youth team players stepping up to senior training.

Lancashire already knew assistant coach Matt Gill, having played with him at Walsall, while goalkeeping coach Dean Thornton worked at Swindon during Lancashire's spell at the Robins.

“It’s nice to see some familiar faces and it means they trust me. Naturally, that relationship was very easy.

“They’ve been great with the young boys when they’ve gone up to train with the first-team. Carl Martin is still there; he knows a lot of the boys himself and he has been great.

“There are no worries about our players going up to be the spare man in training. They go and they train properly. Russell wants them to be a part of the first team regularly.”