SAINTS defender Sonnie Davis admitted he cheekily asked father Kelvin if he could sign him on loan - but was told no!
Former Saints goalkeeper and coach Kelvin Davis signed a three-year deal as Eastleigh boss this summer following a successful short-term spell.
During his initial tenure, the Spitfires secured 20 points in 13 games including five clean sheets, four of which came in consecutive away wins.
Meanwhile, Sonnie, 19, is a key man at right-back for Saints under-21s and is looking to taste senior football for the first time next season.
Speaking to the Daily Echo, Davis said: "I think next season is hopefully a first-team loan. That'll be a big thing for me, learning-wise.
"Then from that, the goal is to play for Southampton. If that happens, then that'll be a dream come true.
"I did say to Dad, 'Come on now, selfish question, well done and all but am I going to get a little loan?
"He went, 'Sonnie, you cannot be my first signing'. We'll see," Davis quipped, although Saints duo Jake Vokins and Will Merry did make the switch.
Kelvin, 47, made 301 appearances for Saints between 2006 and his retirement in 2016, helping the club go from League One to Europe.
Sonnie did not follow in his father's footsteps by donning the gloves but he did take inspiration on another defining attribute.
He revealed: "My dad always had his shirt tucked in. I feel like one thing that I've always noticed is I'm always recognised.
"I'm the lad that tucked his shirt in, and the high socks as well. One of the lads in my team recently said, 'Go on, untuck it today, untuck it'.
"I'm keeping that for the rest of my career, tucking it in. And my height, first of all, I think settled the other question.
"My dad always knew, like, hmm, I don't think playing in goal is going to be the right thing," Davis insisted.
"What's annoying is I've got everything, like, genetics, the way my body is, there's a lot like my dad, it's just the height that isn't.
"But he always said to me when I was a kid that I've chopped my hands off and I'm not going in goal! That was what he always said.
"I'm my own person and the best thing about it is I'm not a goalkeeper. So, whatever anyone says, I'm a full-back. You know what I mean?"
Kelvin is in attendance for pretty much every match his son plays for the Saints academy team - or at least he was.
But he would blend into the background at Staplewood or Snows Stadium and you would never hear him orchestrate from the sideline.
"To be fair, it is something my dad has always been really good at," Davis said.
"I've been questioned on that before - if he's quite pushy or this or the other. That was never the case. He never forced me into anything.
"I never got told off after games. He was always just pretty chilled with me. I think he knows I'm going to work as hard as I can in every game.
"So I can't get told off for making a mistake. Do you know what I mean? He knows I'm giving everything."
Davis added: "I think the main thing is just little tips, little things to practice.
"COVID was a big moment for me, he just told me to practice little things and now when I go into games, I don't think about it anymore.
"I think when I was younger, it was probably more of a thing that he was my dad - but as I grew up, more and more people don't look into it."
Having never previously scored in Premier League 2, Davis netted in three consecutive matches towards the end of last season.
His goals helped win games against Stoke City, Crystal Palace and Norwich City and put Saints in the driving seat for playoffs.
However, failure to win any of the last three matches meant that target was missed on the final day of the league season.
But the impressive run should help put Davis in the minds of potential summer recruiters, looking to give a youngster a chance.
"I'm disappointed now when I'm not scoring," Davis joked.
"It's been really positive, where I've been playing a lot more, I'm getting that repetitive feeling going. I'm just more confident, I guess. When I get to those positions, it's a lot more natural."
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