The rise of Romeu

Oriol Romeu has had to bide his time for much of his career, but the former Barcelona and Chelsea midfielder is finally shining under Claude Puel at Southampton. Nick Wright charts his rise with the help of the man who brought him through the youth ranks at La Masia.

Even the most optimistic Southampton supporters could have been forgiven for feeling nervous when the transfer window shut without the arrival of a Victor Wanyama replacement. His departure to Tottenham had left a huge hole at the base of their midfield, and a winless start to the Premier League season only added to the anxiety.

As it turns out, they need not have worried. Southampton have made a habit of reinvention, and this year Oriol Romeu has been the biggest success story. The 25-year-old Spaniard started fewer than half of the Saints’ Premier League games in his first campaign on the south coast, but he has stepped into Wanyama’s shoes and made an impressive impact this season.

Southampton are looking up again. Romeu has played every minute of their five-game unbeaten run, and on Sunday in front of Pep Guardiola, the manager who gave him his debut at Barcelona back in 2010, he produced a man-of-the-match performance as Southampton claimed a 1-1 draw at Manchester City. 

Romeu might have lined up for the other side had things worked out differently, but this weekend he will be eager to impress more familiar faces when Southampton face his old club Chelsea. It’s another stern test for Claude Puel’s side, and for Romeu it’s another reminder of a long, frustrating journey that began on the training pitches of La Masia.

“He came to us from Espanyol’s academy when he was 13,” former Barcelona youth coach Pedro Abraham tells Sky Sports. “The first year was difficult for him. He found it difficult to be an important player, but gradually he became indispensable. He was very intelligent and very serious. That was important for his development. He improved every year.”

In a youth team that included attacking talents such as Thiago Alcantara and Christian Tello, Romeu was the no-frills holding midfielder who held it all together. He did the dirty work, as Abraham calls it. El trabajo sucio. “It was a very good generation,” says Abraham. “Oriol played as the pivote in front …

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