Nathan Redmond can be a “big factor” in a successful season for Saints.

The 24-year-old winger has started the season superbly after overcoming a tough period in his career.

Redmond dropped out of the squad altogether after a poor run of form that resulted in him being widely booed by Saints fans, which in turn affected his confidence still further.

However, Redmond has shown great maturity and resilience to come back from it and now looks to be playing his best football since his £10m signing from Norwich in 2016.

There is no doubt his pace and ability to run at players can be a huge asset for Saints if they can keep Redmond positive and pushing forward.

Saints boss Mark Hughes said: “He’s taken on a lot of information.

“Nathan is a young man who has got undoubted talent but is a young man who maybe lost his way a little bit and lost a bit of confidence.

“He’s in a good place at the moment and I think that showed with the way he’s engaged in the game and is trying to affect the game.

“He’s always demanding the ball which is a sign of a player who has got a lot of confidence in what he’s trying to do.

“We have got to maintain that level of confidence in Nathan and if we do he can be a big factor for us.”

Redmond is one of several Saints players who have been involved with the England squad in recent times and are looking to get back in.

Gareth Southgate handed Redmond a first and thus far only senior cap in a friendly with Germany in 2017.

James Ward-Prowse was picked and given his solitary cap in the same game while Ryan Bertrand was a regular in the squad but now seems to have fallen completely out of favour.

The trio are on the outside looking in during the current international break which has seen teammate Alex McCarthy join up with the squad for matches against Spain and Switzerland.

Hughes believes all of them can get back in but that it is a long-term project for them.

“Not for this one,” he admitted. “The focus for them is getting points on the board for Southampton and to make sure we are in a strong position leading into the break and to continue to play well for the next few weeks.

“I think if they do that then any recognition they get will come from that.”