Calum Chambers: Arsenal recruit praises Southampton youth system

Calum Chambers is the third youth-team product to leave Southampton for Arsenal in recent years

Southampton have more young players ready to break into their first team after the exit of several big names, says ex-Saints star Calum Chambers.

The 19-year-old right-back was the fifth player to leave Southampton this summer with a £16m move to Emirates.

But Chambers, who only made his Saints debut at the start of last season, believes more youngsters will come through the ranks.

"They have a great youth system... they'll produce more players," he said.

Rickie Lambert,Adam Lallana and Dejan Lovren have all joined Liverpool from Southampton, while Luke Shaw signed for Manchester United.

Chambers, whose move was finalised after only 25 senior appearances, told Arsenal's official website: "It has been a bit of a whirlwind for me.

"From under-21s to first-team football is such a big step. I think it is more mentally than physically challenging.

"I have managed to keep my feet on the ground and worked hard.

"Every experience I got was such a good feeling to go out there and play against players of such quality. I just want to keep doing it more and more."

He is the third player in recent years to move from Southampton's academy to Arsenal following Theo Walcott and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

Although he played last season at right-back for Southampton, he started his career as a midfielder.

"I was a midfielder about a year and a half ago for the under-21s," he said. "I saw an opportunity in the first team at right-back and thought that for my progress it would be best to move there.

"I used everything I learned in midfield - like first touch, scanning and all that - and brought it into right-back. I learnt how to play there with the under-21s and went through each game afterwards with the coaches and worked on little bits, and it just went from there."