Cedric Soares did not feature in Southampton’s 9-0 humbling against Leicester City but he has played a crucial part since. As one of Southampton’s senior players Cedric, along with captain Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, organised and led team meetings as the squad has pieced itself back together.

“We spoke between us, we came together as a group and said ‘sometimes it is better it happened now because there is time to react’,” Cedric says. “Obviously nobody wants it to happen. But it happened and we have time to go from here. It’s a wake-up call. Come on boys, it’s up to us to do better and it’s also our careers. I think the group has this in their heads. You have to step up.”

Cedric has been out injured with a calf problem but he hopes to return for Saturday’s Premier League home fixture against Everton, the first game back at St Mary’s since the Leicester defeat. “It’s frustrating,” the right-back says. “The team doing good or bad, you feel responsible [either way]. When they lose, I lose. Even if I don’t play. And I know also that my team-mates are supporting me to come back.”

Cedric is an important player for Southampton. A Euro 2016 winner with Portugal, who also impressed at the 2018 World Cup and in the Confederations Cup, big clubs have been circling the 28-year-old who also had a successful loan spell at Inter Milan last season, helping them into the Champions League.