Defender discusses his hard-work at Southampton.
Arsenal star Calum Chambers reveals he used to clean the boots of Rickie Lambert as a young player at Southampton, and credits the club for turning him into the success he is now.
The 20-year-old signed for the Gunners in the summer for a reported £16m fee, and still holds great love for his former club for the way in which they nurture young talent, and keep players feet firmly on the ground.
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Southampton have a record of producing sublime talent – with Gareth Bale, Theo Walcott and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain all products of the the Saints’ academy, and Chambers has followed in their footsteps with the move to Premier League giants Arsenal:
“I think it’s the grounding that you’re given as a young player at Southampton,” Chambers was quoted by the Daily Star.
“If anyone steps out of line or comes in and thinks they’re bigger than they are, they are told straightaway. Everyone’s feet are kept firmly on the ground.”
“I cleaned Rickie Lambert’s boots for a couple of seasons – sometimes on cold winter nights.”
“We were each given a player whose boots we had to clean at the end of every day, even if it was raining or snowing. That’s another way of grounding people too.
“It was good for us. You wanted to get to the stage where you had a boot boy cleaning your boots, so it was something else that made you want to push on more.