Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has praised Southampton for their youth system.
Ferdinand was chatting last week to team-mate Javier Hernandez, who asked him which clubs were the best producers of talent.
He told the Mail on Sunday: "I told Chicharito that 15-20 years ago it was West Ham. Obviously, for a long time, it's been United and still is.
"It's in the DNA of United, from the top. Sir Alex Ferguson kept Matt Busby's tradition going. When you walk into the training ground, it's about history and fabric, it's not just about medals but is also about young players you've produced being in the first-team squad.
"Now you have Southampton, too, as serious producers, with Gareth Bale, Theo Walcott, Oxlade-Chamberlain, and they've a crop of kids coming up Luke Shaw for me is going to be a top left-back, they've James Ward-Prowse and others."
