Russell Martin speaks to i's Oliver Young-Myles about transforming the mood at Southampton, his mission to help young people, and why Ange Postecoglou doesn't need to change his philosophy
Russell Martin speaks to i's Oliver Young-Myles about transforming the mood at Southampton, his mission to help young people, and why Ange Postecoglou doesn't need to change his philosophymay be Russell Martin’s immediate focus, but the charitable foundation bearing his name that was established seven years ago is never far from his thoughts.
“It’s opened everyone’s eyes really that actually there’s a lot of on our doorstep, way more than we thought there was,” he says. There are weekly football courses for girls, organised training and matches for people with disabilities and walking football for over 50s. There’s also an education programme for adolescents aged 16-19 who have slipped through the cracks at professional clubs.
“And it’s the same with my players when they step out onto the pitch. You’ve played thousands of times since you were five years old, go and be yourselves in front of a baying crowd who are wanting your blood against an opposition that is chasing you down.” “When you walk in as the guy who has to steer the ship around, it’s a bit like ‘ok this is going to be a bigger challenge than maybe we thought’. But they’ve been amazing. They’ve really embraced us. It took a little bit of time to really work us out. We lost four in a row and we didn’t change anything one bit and I think they thought ‘ok maybe we are going to be alright.
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