Bragg hails "incredible" relationship with Eckert
Cameron Bragg hailed the influence of head coach Tonda Eckert after a day to remember for the Southampton Academy on Saturday.
Bragg, who captained the Under-21s under Eckert before the boss moved up to the first team setup in November, played only nine senior minutes under predecessor Will Still this season.
By contrast, the 20-year-old midfielder has racked up 520 first-team minutes in three months under Eckert, including the full 120 of the weekend’s Emirates FA Cup fourth round triumph over Leicester at St Mary’s.
“I don’t think I can sum up how much of a pleasure it is to play for the club, but also for him. He gives me so much trust and freedom, I feel so warm and our relationship is incredible,” Bragg said of Eckert.
“To play for a manager like that is unreal, and it’s not always been like that. I feel like there have been glimpses of what I’ve shown, and I’m nowhere near where I need to be, but with the right care, with the right love and the right opportunity, I think it’s incredible to see what can be shown.
“Any involvement or any time I can get on the pitch I’m going to relish it and enjoy it as much as I can.
“The boys are doing so well in the Championship now. Obviously we had a tough start, but we’ve really hit some good form now, so at times it will be harder to get minutes, but I’m going to stay ready and when these games come around I just want to show as much as I can do, and really leave everything out there to hopefully make an impression.”
Having started the game alongside veteran midfielder Oriol Romeu, a player local boy Bragg used to watch from the stands, he ended the tie as a relatively elder statesman himself, as one of five Academy graduates on the field as Saints prevailed in extra time.
On partnering Romeu, Bragg added: “I was sent a photo of me as an Under-14 winning Player of the Month and I went up and he (Romeu) was the one who came up and spoke to us after his game, so it’s incredible.
“I don’t want to make him feel old or feel like he’s been here a while, but he’s always been someone that I’ve looked up to and I try and take as much as I can from him, and then when everyone came on the pitch I just tried to help in any way I could just with how to see out the game and manage those moments.”
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