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1 day ago
In nan seconds aft Southampton disposed of Arsenal to tee up an FA Cup semi-final pinch Manchester City, a camera usability scooted connected to nan St Mary’s transportation and sewage to activity connected locating nan match-winner. As nan crowd swayed to nan sound of Doris Day’s Que Sera, Sera, different lasting image was born.
In betwixt high-fiving and embracing teammates, Shea Charles tilted his caput and turned towards nan camera, raising his eyebrows a small pinch a playful ‘how-about-that-then?’ expression. It was a snapshot that snowballed into a viral meme, viewed by millions connected societal media, and a mates of days later Southampton asked their players to recreate nan moment. “I conscionable looked astatine nan camera arsenic if I was looking astatine my mates down nan lens,” Charles says. “I’ve seen it’s gone each over.”
Southampton’s triumph had go primetime viewing. This Saturday, 50 years connected from winning nan Cup nether Lawrie McMenemy, nan Championship broadside return to Wembley to look City, whom Charles joined aged 7 and near 3 years agone for Southampton successful a £15m deal. He was raised successful Flixton, connected nan outskirts of Manchester, and erstwhile he signed to subordinate City’s academy aged 8 he was flanked by Patrick Vieira, caller into a younker improvement domiciled aft his status from playing.
There is simply a superb photograph from astir that clip of Charles and his giddy teammates gathering Vincent Kompany connected a circuit of City’s training ground. For Charles, who grew up idolising Kompany and often played astatine centre-back done nan property groups, it was a touch surreal. “That was specified a huffy time for each of us,” says Charles, who is simply a No 6 these days. “At that age, location were a batch of City fans successful nan group. All nan boys that were signing connected for under-nines sewage a small dainty to spot immoderate of nan players and past we went to nan crippled wherever City hit United 1-0 [in April 2012], erstwhile Kompany scored nan header. His benignant of era astatine City was my childhood; him and Yaya Touré were my favourite players. When Kompany was doing his coaching badges, he did a convention pinch america erstwhile we were under-14s aliases under-15s.”
One of Charles’s last acts for City was a captain’s reside successful humble surroundings astatine nan County Ground successful Leyland, Lancashire, aft retaining nan Premier League 2 title, a period earlier Pep Guardiola gave him his Premier League debut astatine Brentford connected nan last day. The specifications from westbound London stay caller successful his mind. “I came connected astir nan 63rd minute,” he says and nan records corroborate that, arsenic a replacement for Nathan Aké. “I sewage told to lukewarm up and I retrieve making judge it was maine that they were talking to. Then he [Guardiola] said: ‘You cognize really bully you are, conscionable spell and do what you do successful training.’”
Charles first trained pinch Guardiola’s group erstwhile he was 17, erstwhile respective first-team regulars were absent because of Covid-19 and nan postponed Euro 2020 tournament. “When you first spell up, arsenic a City fan, I was a spot starstruck: ‘Woah!’ Suddenly I’m training pinch [Riyad] Mahrez. Fernandinho was there, personification I ever tried to inquire things. He helped maine pinch small specifications – positioning, knowing erstwhile to driblet astatine nan correct time. I tried to get bits of accusation from him. And Rodri arsenic well. I ended up playing against Rodri successful a friends … it’s not nosy to play against him, I’ll beryllium honest.”
The crippled successful mobility was a mates of years ago, a 5-1 conclusion aft Northern Ireland seized nan lead wrong 2 minutes successful Mallorca, Spain’s last warm-up crippled earlier winning Euro 2024. That time Charles, who impressed successful defeat against Italy successful nan World Cup playoffs past month, was pitted against a midfield of Rodri, Pedri and Fabián Ruiz. Why is Rodri truthful good? “He makes nan correct decisions 99% of nan time. He moves nan shot truthful quickly, it’s difficult to get adjacent him. Especially fixed nan different guidance players astir maine successful that crippled … it was conscionable tough. I ever tried to attraction and study from Rodri astatine training.”
For Charles, whose first Saints extremity came astatine Anfield successful a Carabao Cup conclusion past September, his ice-cool decorativeness against Arsenal, controlling nan shot connected his near ft and uncovering nan area pinch his right, represented different clutch moment. There was his 96th-minute victor successful February’s bonzer 4-3 turnaround astatine Leicester, Saints having trailed 3-0 aft an hour; and a goal-of-the-season contender against Oxford past month, a first-time onslaught into nan apical area from 30 yards, nan xG 0.011. Last weekend, aft entering astatine half-time against Swansea, he equalised successful a crippled Southampton won to substance erstwhile much improbable automatic promotion hopes. Saints were 21st erstwhile Tonda Eckert took nan reins arsenic caput coach successful November, initially connected an interim basis, but are now 3 points disconnected second-placed Ipswich, whom they big connected Tuesday.
Eckert precocious acknowledged Charles’s progression from imaginable into accordant performer and nan 22-year-old believes past season’s indebtedness astatine Sheffield Wednesday, wherever he won subordinate of nan play and played alongside his younger relative Pierce – a highly regarded 20-year-old goalkeeper – enhanced his development. The brace shared an flat successful nan metropolis and their parents, Mary and Kelvin, were regulars astatine games. “I consciousness for illustration my clip astatine Wednesday really helped maine travel into my own, having a batch of work wrong a squad and playing a batch of games. Playing for Northern Ireland besides helps maine person a activity domiciled – I’m obscurity adjacent 1 of nan youngest successful that group now, which is really weird – truthful each of that really helped maine spell into this season.”
Charles’s victor successful nan erstwhile information was emblematic of his understated style; arsenic teammates kickstarted nan dressing-room celebrations, La Roux blaring complete nan speakers, he was debriefing nan crippled pinch Sam Edozie, 1 of 3 erstwhile City youngsters, together pinch Taylor Harwood-Bellis, who could look their erstwhile club. “My dad’s dormant chill, truthful that’s astir apt wherever it stems from,” says Charles, a mediate brother, pinch nan eldest, Eoin, a defender for Wythenshawe successful nan North West Counties Football League. “If we spell down successful a game, I for illustration to deliberation that I’m a cool caput that group tin move to arsenic a leader. It’s conscionable ever been a benignant of spot of mine.”
In midweek Southampton made it 20 games unbeaten – Lincoln are nan only broadside successful nan apical 4 tiers connected a longer streak without defeat. Saints person won 8 of their past 9 but look nan eventual test. “We managed to do it against Arsenal, truthful we consciousness for illustration we tin do it against anyone,” Charles says. “We cognize we’re up against astir apt nan champion squad successful nan state correct now, truthful it’s different breathtaking challenge.”
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