Portsmouth Legacy is having outstanding performances at Southampton

Gavin Bazunu looks to be securing his place among the Blues fans after electing to continue his successful career at arch rivals Southampton. The Republic of Ireland international squad received well-deserved praise after making significant advances at Fratton Park last season, following a season on loan from Manchester City. Bazunu was selected the season's players' player and received four awards from fans' organisations in honour of his remarkable efforts.

His performances prompted the 20-year-old to join St Mary's Stadium in a summer transfer for up to £15 million. But life hasn't been easy for the former Rochdale man, who started the season ahead of Alex McCarthy. As Southampton has struggled, Bazunu's performances have received mixed evaluations, with manager Ralph Hasenhuttl finally losing his job in November. Nathan Jones took over for the Austrian, and his first home league game came against Brighton on Boxing Day. And it was a sobering experience for Bazunu, who was responsible for Adam Lallana's 14th-minute opening against his former club.

Bazunu could have done better with the cross that led to Romain Perraud's 35th-minute own goal in Southampton's 3-1 loss, which sent them to the bottom of the table. It comes after the Irishman's own goal, which helped his team come from behind to defeat Lincoln in the Carabao Cup earlier this month. One has had to justify his keeper's form, claiming that with McCarthy out, he has no choice but to play Bazunu.

Gavin Buzunu is in Southampton team

He stated to the Daily Echo: "Gav is an excellent potential. He's had a few rough patches recently, but he's a wonderful goalkeeper." I'm not coming here to criticize him. Alex rolled his ankle in training the other day, making him unavailable, so my options are limited. But I'm not going to jump in and criticize Gav; he made a pretty fantastic stop (against Brighton) and one or two decent saves at Liverpool. Gav is a superb goalie; it's simply a matter of bringing everything together for him.”

Gavin Buzunu is pursuing his dream of becoming an EPL football player.

He accomplishes this by absolute devotion, unwavering professionalism, and a path through lower-league football that many of his similarly skilled contemporaries refuse to consider. This gives a platform for his undeniable abilities to come through, to the point that he is now on the verge of realizing his dreams at the age of 20.

Of course not—until you factor in the politicized environment of the most passionate football rivals. For others, this has distorted the picture of Gavin Bazunu's lofty status following a great season on loan at Fratton Park. Following a season in which the extremely skilled goalkeeper justifiably rose to notice, news of a potential £10 million move from Manchester City to Southampton has emerged. Many people will be upset that Pompey was used as a platform for the Republic of Ireland International, which may now come 20 miles away.

Those who grew to know the Dubliner will be disappointed to see him become a Premier League operative against Pompey's closest rivals. Bazunu's level of concentration and will to develop set him apart from the minute he came at PO4 last July. Being a youngster at a club of Manchester City's caliber has caused several young players to lose touch with reality and believe their own hype. Bazunu, on the other hand, is a more grounded, modest, and clever young player. That was highlighted when, rather than accepting the reflected glory on offer at the Etihad, he decided to learn his craft in unglamorous Rochdale before joining Pompey.