Sam Stanton is the new Head of Scouting Operations for Southampton owners Sport Republic. The Football Careers client will have a key job this summer as Saints’ relegation to the English Championship sparks a vital rebuild, with his employers also owning Turkish second-tier club Goztepe SK.

Stanton has been a respected figure at St Mary’s for over two years now since his switch to the club as Player Insights Analyst Lead in January 2021.

Sam was promoted to Lead Scout for the south of the UK at the club and now he has taken another significant step forward in his career development. He will be a key figure in the backroom staff as Southampton press the reset button with Manchester City Academy Director Jason Wilcox becoming the club’s new Director of Football this summer.

Stanton moved to Saints after seven years as Head of Analysis at Championship side Bristol City. There he was at the forefront of many facets of analytical innovation alongside forward-thinking Head Coach Lee Johnson, who is now in charge at Scottish Premiership club Hibernian.

Most notably they brought in a 12-foot outdoor screen on the training field to help bring coaching moments to life for the City players. The club’s clever use of technology created a data-driven culture that helped maximise the development of their players and resulted in transfer sales of £100million over four years.

Sam’s role in that success story saw his profile within the game rise and it was rewarded with the switch to Saints that has now brought this latest move in a career quickly gathering momentum.