A couple of years ago Dom Ballard looked to be on the verge of breaking into Saints first team, but since then his career has been hit by injuries and now he has been recalled to St Mary's from Blackpool, but not for good reasons.

Ballard burst on the scene at the start of the 2022/23 season with a goal in the Carabao Cup at Cambridge United, he would make a further appearance in the FA Cup against Grimsby as a late sub followed by a couple of sub appearances in the Premier League at the tail end of the season all just as had reached his 18th birthday.

Southampton fans had high hopes for him, but it was felt by those at the club he needed a season out on loan and he joined Reading and his former manager at Saints Ruben Selles but a promising season was cut short by a knee injury and after recovering from that he was loaned out to Blackpool for this season.

That too started well, he scored in his second League One game, ironically at Cambridge United again, before a shoulder injury disrupted his season, that didnt mean he missed many games, but Blackpool manager Steve Bruce as reported in The Daily Echo feels that he has never really been the same player since.

"I don’t know if his shoulder injury has blighted him a little bit, but since that day at Huddersfield, we unfortunately haven’t seen the best of him.

“Whether the actual shoulder dislocated and came out, our physios are convinced and they put it back. For four or five weeks, he wasn’t the same.

“I wish him the best, he’s a great kid and a great lad to have around the dressing room. He had a great start, but unfortunately in the last couple of months, we haven’t seen the best of him.

“Young players need time to adapt. They come here for that valuable experience. I picked him in my first two or three games, but whatever happened that day against Huddersfield, we haven’t seen the best of him since.

“I hope he gets over that and gets physically and mentally right because the kid is a very good footballer. If he can stay fit and healthy then he’s got an outstanding chance.”

The Blackpool manager then went on to explain that Southampton have decided to recall him and that this is more a medical issue than anything else, Ballard has been involved in games, mainly off the bench, so it is not a lack of game time, so the former Manchester United defender feels that Saints are more concerned about his shoulder injury.

"Southampton have invoked it so we have to respect that. When I walked through the door, Dom Ballard was fresh and bright.

"I don’t know if his shoulder injury has blighted him a little bit, but since that day at Huddersfield, we unfortunately haven’t seen the best of him.

“Whether the actual shoulder dislocated and came out, our physios are convinced and they put it back. For four or five weeks, he wasn’t the same."

So it seems that the recall is more about assessing the shoulder injury and whether it needs an operation, than a playing issue, this being the case, those Saints supporters who are thinking he might well be the answer to our striking options, may well be mistaken.

Given how he has struggled to find his form at Blackpool in League One it would be folly to throw him into the car crash that at the moment is Saints Premier League season, not turning 20 until April he still lacks the experience that Saints had hoped that he would have got by now, the total of his two loan spells in League One is 16 games started and another 12 from the bench with 4 goals scored, so I would suggest that although he still has promise, he is not the answer to our problems this season, but in the Championship in the next one, he has the potential to be the surprise success.

Saints have confirmed that he will be reintegrated into the U21 squad and that they may consider another loan deal after he has been assessed.

All Photos Via Reuters

Centurion added 09:35 - Jan 7 One for the future it seems.
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underweststand added 11:20 - Jan 7 Dom really was a good Academy prospect. He scored goals for the U18 and U21s even at age 16 and IMHO was a better prospect than Dibling at that age. He was certainly a big goal scorer after that and (think) he scored around 30 goals for U18 and U21 in the season before his first loan out to Reading. His goal tally was greater than Dibling and JJ Morgan (before he went to Chelsea. I rated Dom as the "best" of the three as a goalscorer. Two unfortunate injuries hampered his progress, but now that he's back I hope he might be fit enough to get 45 minutes in the Swansea Cup game. There's a lot of space between U21 and senior football level but it will be good for the new manager to take a look at him, before " decisions " are made.

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davenbennett added 11:39 - Jan 7 I had high hopes for him. But looks like his injuries have stopped his development. Must be hard for a young player when that happens.
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JoeEgg added 12:31 - Jan 7 Steve Bruce is very good at working with and helping young footballers. If he couldn't get the best out of Dom Ballard, with our recent record, what chance have our coaches got!!
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Bowlercow added 13:37 - Jan 7 Bruce is a yesterdays man and is probably out of touch with youngsters needs and training methods Dom is a real natural goalscorer and as such should have been thrown at the deep end before going to Reading. Next year we will be in the Championship Subject to the medics agreeing give him some experience in the PL to prepare him for a couple of years in the EFL
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Colburn added 17:11 - Jan 7 We should bring back Edozie, he’s better than anything else we’ve had on that side of the pitch. Loan out Sulemana and Smallbone too with Charles coming back to replace him. Aribo can at least be a squad player in the 8 or 10 position, he can’t play in the deeper midfield areas to save his life but he ghosts into the box and shows something in attack. Smallbone needs game time and he’s not hungry enough for this level. I still have no idea why we loaned out Charles and Edozie and replaced them with inferior players! Charlie Taylor or Manning should go as we now have Welington. You can understand Juric comments about us needing to cull. In response to the article, I don’t believe there’s a fan out there who thought Ballard was going to somehow be the goal scoring solution, but I suppose it’s a story.. May as well sell Dibling now and get the most for him to help us prepare for next season in tier 2.

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