Southampton are no stranger to unearthing a glinted gem from the coveted youth academy, with a long line of former prodigious starlets forging successful paths into the professional game, and the next diamond might now be within the clutches of owners Sport Republic.

Indeed, Gareth Bale, Ben White and Luke Shaw are all prominent names to have plied their way through the academy ranks, while, of course, James Ward-Prowse continues to dazzle week in, week out for Saints, rising and emerging as one of the most prolific dead-ball specialists across all of Europe.

And the latest prodigy to have found a place on the periphery of the first team is exciting teenage forward Dominic Ballard; known for several years due to his high ceiling, the striker has yet to falter in his development and is pushing for a regular berth within the senior squad over the forthcoming seasons.

In fact, the 17-year-old starlet can even stake a claim for involvement as the season approaches the business end, with his cutting edge already felt by the south coast club’s faithful in the Carabao Cup earlier this term.

Arriving off the bench to play the final 15 minutes of a confident victory over Cambridge United, Ballard monumentally netted on his professional debut and recorded an average Sofascore rating of 7.5 for his efforts, taking three shots during his fleeting appearance.

Finding the back of the net just comes naturally to this budding star, with his 22 goals from 31 outings for Southampton U18 and 16 strikes from 22 fixtures for Saints’ B team evidence that despite still perching inside his formative years, the innate goalscoring nature is firmly embedded into his core.

Hailed as a “fantastic, precocious talent” by The Athletic’s Jacob Tanswell, Ballard holds every bit the acumen to become the catalyst for sustained success in the offensive third for his boyhood club.

And with the U18 England international, scoring three goals from three games, being lauded as “insanely good” by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, the mounting praise on his burgeoning skill set only serves to raise the volume of the conversation that this is indeed a striker of world-class credentials, should he be nurtured aptly.

Daily Echo reporter Alfie House remarked that this is a young gem who, quite simply, “loves goals”, and given that his senior outfit holds a tenuous link to the security of their top-flight status, the knowledge that his predatory instincts are tied to the south coast outfit bodes well for the endeavours and preservation of the side’s stature.

He could even emulate Danny Ings’ impact in Hampshire. Ings, who was signed from Liverpool for £20m in 2019, scored 46 goals and supplied ten assists from 100 appearances, with his “unbelievable” impact imperative to Saints’ success over the last several years, according to former boss Ralph Hasenhuttl.

With Ings’, now playing for West Ham United, biggest strength laying in his innate finishing ability, Ballard can indeed harness his potential and emulate his senior positional peer.

Ings certainly left his mark on the St. Mary’s support, but in Ballard, the successor to his talismanic role is unearthed.

Sill only 17, he certainly needed shrewd nurturing over the next few seasons, but patience is a virtue, and Southampton will be duly rewarded with a new scintillating profile presence.