In Profile: Flynn Downes

“I'm running out of superlatives. He has all the ingredients he needs to play at the very top.” were the words that followed after Downes opened his goalscoring account for Martin’s Swansea side later that season.

Fast-forward two years and eleven days, to be precise, from Downes’s arrival in South Wales, and the pair have been reunited as the central midfielder moves to the South Coast of England to become Southampton’s fourth addition of the summer transfer window. 

Despite still being only 24-years-old, he has amassed almost 200 career appearances to date and has enjoyed a steady, consistent development throughout his footballing journey so far.

Flynn Downes played under Russell Martin at Swansea. (Photo: Michael Steele/Getty Images)

Hailing from Brentwood, Essex and an alumni of Brentwood School, the same education as former-Chelsea and England midfield icon Frank Lampard, it was actually in East Anglia where Downes got his start at just seven-years-old.

After one season with his local junior side, Ongar Town, he was scouted by Ipswich Town and immediately placed two age groups higher without looking out of place at all.

His seamless transition through the Academy system continued until he was deemed ready to make his mark in the first team at 18-years-old.

After signing his first professional contract in June 2017, it was less than a month later when then-Ipswich manager Mick McCarthy gave him a new three-year deal after impressing in pre-season.

His debut for the Tractor Boys followed in November 2017 in the Championship, and Downes’s taste for senior football was instantly realised.

Later that season, pleased with his early involvement but not content with being a squad player, he was granted a loan move to Luton Town where he helped the then-League Two side achieve promotion to League One with a second place finish.

With an EFL promotion already under his belt, and Ipswich’s Young Player of the Season award that same year, Downes returned ready to be a first team regular at Portman Road. 

He played 29 league games and was a positive sign in a disappointing 2018/19 campaign that saw the Tractor Boys relegated from the Championship.

Downes’s commitment was unwavering, however, as he signed a further three-year contract at the club that gave him his first start in the professional game.

He became Ipswich Town’s youngest-ever captain when he took the armband in an FA Cup second round game against Coventry City, all whilst he began to catch the eye of several higher-division sides during his final two years at the club.

Flynn Downes in action for Ipswich Town. (Photo: Nathan Stirk/Getty Images)

At the end of an injury-hit 2020/21 season, Downes’s 15 year stay with Ipswich came to an end when he signed for Swansea City, following in the footsteps of Matt Gill who had made the same move to join Russell Martin’s backroom staff just days prior.

The connection between manager and player was clear as the young midfielder played 39 times for the Swans and captained the side, coincidentally, against Southampton in the FA Cup third round.

Suiting Martin’s football philosophy perfectly, Downes recorded a staggering 92.6% pass completion rate from 2,465 total passes - the highest in England’s top four divisions in the 2021/22 campaign.

His time at Swansea was short lived, however, as his impressive displays caught the eyes of West Ham United and a move to the Premier League, with the side he has supported since childhood, proved too good to turn down.

He made his Premier League debut in August 2022 and quickly became a useful part of the Hammers side that went on to lift European silverware last season, filling in various midfield roles as he was seen as a reliable option either from the start or to sure up games coming off the bench.

In fact, during his time at Swansea, Downes himself highlighted his versatility in the middle of the park. 

“I enjoy the defensive responsibility as well as my job on the ball, I would be as happy to smash someone with a crunching tackle as I would be to score. Don’t get me wrong, I would love to score some goals to help the team, but if I do that a different way then I’m fine with that.”

The combative midfielder appeared in 11 out of 15 UEFA Europa Conference League matches and can proudly add a European winners medal to his growing list of accolades.

Flynn Downes, UEFA Europa Conference League winner. (Photo: Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)

Despite showing mature loyalty during his career by sticking with Ipswich through adversity, Downes is also not afraid to take a plunge into uncharted territory to further his career when the time is right. 

He left Ipswich in search of first team football at a higher level when he deserved it, and now makes a move away from his boyhood club for more regular game time, despite living the dream as a Hammers fan.

Flynn Downes arrives ready to make an impact and, back under the stewardship of Russell Martin once more, Saints could prove to be the perfect place for him to shine.

(Main image: Alex Pantling/Getty Images)