I HAVE always said that age is the least of your problems if you are good enough, and we have seen this over the years at Saints.

Sam Amo-Ameyaw and Tyler Dibling are so young but that is not to say that they cannot be in the first team if they are showing the levels required.

That is both on and off the pitch but you have still got to be mindful of the demands that you might be putting on the younger players.

Sports science around a modern player nowadays is different to my time and there is more in-depth detail around the reasons for making decisions on young players.

These boys, Sam and Tyler, have certainly impressed and they have done what they need to do as youngsters in the early stages of a pre-season.

They've got to get in Russell Martin and the coaching team's faces for all the right reasons, and the more they do that the more they will get opportunities.

The best 18 year old's I have seen break through are some of the best of the bunch - we're talking Alan Shearer, Matt Le Tissier and Rod Wallace.

I think Alan was 17. I've touched on it in the past but flipping it to someone like Sam and Tyler's scenario now, guys getting chances inspired you to be the next one.

Players of my age group getting opportunities in the first team certainly did that for me but it can be a frustrating time as well.

You appreciate you're a young player and there are quality senior players ahead of you but they are playing regularly and that's what you want.

That's where you want to be, and it's down to them to, in the nicest way, dislodge any players in the team that are ahead of them.

From reading what Tyler has said, it sounds like he's taking a level-headed approach and respecting the experience and knowledge of everyone at the club.

He will have his feelings and thoughts, and maybe if he's not figuring come the end of the year, then most definitely look at getting some competitive games elsewhere on loan.

Southampton's pre-season camp was in a lovely place - my wife, Karen, and I were actually down that way for a friend's wedding last year.

We had considered hopping on a flight and going down to watch the Bordeaux game from the other day but obviously, that did not work out.

Results are not crucial this part of the season. Yes, it's great to be winning as that's never a bad thing and it breeds that bit of confidence and belief.

However, you can't read too much of them into it. It's all a case of progressing the fitness and the technical side and how the team are going to shape up.

What the team looks like at Newcastle United is ultimately what everybody's working towards. The players are trying to do their bit to force their way into the team.

If I was someone like Sekou Mara, with Che Adams leaving, I would be chomping at the bit to get back to pre-season - his performances are a priority for him.

I'm not saying that if he was scoring hat-tricks in every single game in pre-season that the club would think, oh well we don't need to go out and buy a striker now.

Clearly, we need strength and competition at the Premier League level but it's in his hands as a player who has now been here for some time. 

I also wanted to thank P&O and Cunard for having been on some lovely ships in Ventura and Queen Victoria over the summer.

 It was lovely meeting a lot of passengers on board and giving my talks, sharing experiences from my career, the challenges and the fundraising we did. 

It was a perfect balance of work and holiday for a few weeks. It's the one time of year I probably don't regret not still being a football player I think.

Pre-season was pretty tough and although I was quite fit and could run a bit in those days, it's always a tough time of year. Clearly, the players are working hard.

After an incredible summer off the back of our promotion, it's all about the excitement of the Premier League now. 

I think everybody can't wait for that and just hopes that there'll be maybe another face or two coming through the door and giving everyone a lift.

Franny Benali