Kayi Sanda discusses rapid rise

The 18-year-old French centre-back became the youngest player in Valenciennes history when he made his debut in Ligue 2 at 16 years of age in October 2023, and went on to make 37 appearances for the first team.

A France Under-19 international, Kayi Sanda has joined Saints on a deal through to 2029.

“I hadn't planned for it to come so quickly, but it was in the back of my mind as a career goal, and I've managed to achieve it early on,” he says of his dream move to England.

“I started out at a very young age in Antony, my hometown, where my parents still live. I played up to U15 level there. Then I moved to Boulogne-Billancourt, another Paris club, where I had a successful season.

“Then I signed for Valenciennes, Southampton's partner club, where I spent two years as a youth player and then a year and a half as part of the first team. I felt very confident because I'd worked towards it throughout my youth.

“I was ready for the challenge, even though it wasn't easy. I worked hard and kept my head down, which helped me to play at such a young age, to make my family proud and to go down in the club's history.

“I started out as a teenager, and I'm now a young man at 18, so I think that it's helped me to improve in every way: physically, tactically, technically and even in terms of my understanding. I was attentive, which helped me then and will continue to help me now.”