Reeves returns as Under-21s support player
Southampton Football Club is delighted to welcome Academy graduate Ben Reeves back to the club as part of the Under-21s setup.
Just over 11 years after first leaving the club, the midfielder returns to Staplewood in a different capacity as an overage player for Simon Rusk's Under-21s side.
Reeves was part of the Academy for over a decade, joining the club in 2001 and rising up the ranks to earn his first professional contract in 2011, at 19-years-old.
He made 13 senior appearances for Saints, including three Premier League outings on the club's return to the top flight in the 2012/13 season.
After departing in 2013, Reeves went on to achieve an established Football League career with the likes of MK Dons, Charlton, Plymouth and Gillingham, as well as a recent stint at local non-league side Eastleigh.
Reeves (L) in action for Saints in 2012.
The 32-year-old now makes his return to Saints to combine training and playing in the upcoming Premier League 2 campaign with mentoring the younger players at Staplewood.
His role will see him support Saints' youngsters both at Staplewood and out on loan, whilst working alongside a core of Academy graduates that have returned to the club.
Reeves is the latest addition to a former graduate programme within the Academy, alongside the likes of Olly Lancashire, Andrew Surman, Matt Paterson and Sam McQueen.
On his return to the club where his career began, Reeves said: "It's a privilege to be back and an honour to be thought of for the role.
"It's a great opportunity for me to be back in the building and it doesn't come around often, so I want to thank Olly [Lancashire] and Russell [Martin] for their help in the process.
"It's a great opportunity to help these boys and learn off people like Olly, Russell, and Simon [Rusk], and I've already learnt a lot already - I'm looking forward to being around the Under-21s and hopefully help make them better people and better players."
Olly Lancashire, now the Academy's Head of Player Strategy, added: "Having been in this role myself, I was asked to make a shortlist of potential people to take it on and Ben was top of that list so it's great to be able to welcome him back.
"It's worked out really well that Ben's played at MK Dons with Russell, Simon Rusk has had the same position himself at Brighton, so everything has come together at the right time.
"I'm really confident that Ben will have a positive impact on the staff, and more importantly the players, and it's important we have another Academy graduate returning to the club - I'm sure he'll have a big impact and we're looking forward to working together this season."
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