Samuele Longo, a forward for PAS Lamia, has acknowledged that he would have joined Mauricio Pochettino at Southampton if he could go back in time.
Speaking with Numero Diaz, the 31-year-old has discussed his career, the choices he’s made, and the ones he wishes he had made.
In a career spanning across Italy, Spain, and the Netherlands, he is currently a player for PAS Lamia in Greece, the most recent of many different clubs he has played for.
He spent a portion of his career with Espanyol, where he played under Pochettino. In ten games, he managed three goals and one assist.
Their time together was short-lived, as Pochettino was fired at the end of November 2012 following a 2-0 loss to Getafe.
He eventually bounced back at Southampton, moving to the Saints and making waves at the club before going on to impress at Tottenham and then move to PSG and now Chelsea.
He arrived at Southampton in January and was handed the keys to build that team that summer after keeping them in the Premier League.
Part of his plans involved a potential reunion with Longo, who now regrets that it didn’t come to fruition after he accepted his agent’s advice.
“In my first year at Espanyol, I had Pochettino as my coach, who wanted me there,” he said.
“During the season, he was sacked because the team was not doing well and the following year he went to Southampton.
“My dream has always been to play in the Premier League. During the summer, we had contacts, and I was very happy, but my agent’s decision at the time was to stay in Italy.
“I was a kid and I trusted him and said, ‘If you think so, then it means it’s the best thing for me’. If I could go back, I would say, ‘No, I want to go to Southampton’ and try to force my hand.”
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