Southampton boss Nigel Adkins was again full of praise for Luke Shaw after victory over Reading.

At just 17, Shaw is already being heralded as the new Gareth Bale and there is no doubt his presence on the teamsheet was the main reason Stuart Pearce, the England under-21 coach, was among the crowd at St Mary's.

Adkins is certain Shaw can emulate the likes of Bale and fellow St Mary's Stadium academy graduates Theo Walcott and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain by reaching the very top, saying: "Luke has a bright future ahead of him. We have got to give him the opportunity to keep progressing and I'm sure he will flourish."