Tino Livramento explained that a conversation with his Dad persuaded him to push for a Chelsea exit in the summer.
Speaking to the FA, Livramento clarified why he opted to leave his boyhood club to join Southampton last month.
Chelsea tried desperately hard to keep hold of their academy pupil, but could not persuade him to sign a new contract.
Instead, the teenager swapped South West London for the south coast.
Southampton paid £5m (Guardian) for Livramento’s services, with Chelsea including a £25m buy-back option in the deal.
Now, the full-back has ironed out his decision to take up the Saint’s offer over the suggestions from Stamford Bridge.
“Me and my dad sat down in May and we spoke and thought the next step would be for me to push into a Premier League team and we felt the better route for me was to leave Chelsea,” said the 18-year-old.
“It wasn’t easy obviously as I have been a fan for as long as I can remember and been a player there since I was seven.”
Schools out for summer
Livramento was part of a mass exodus of Cobham products to leave Chelsea in the latest transfer window.
Tammy Abraham, Fikayo Tomori, Marc Guehi, Lewis Bate, Dynel Simeu and Myles Peart-Harris were all sold.
Billy Gilmour, Conor Gallagher, Dujon Sterling, Henry Lawrence, Armando Broja and Levi Colwill have been loaned out.
It is both positive and negative that so many from the Blues’ construction line have searched for refuge elsewhere.
There is clear evidence that the development system continues to shine brighter than any in the country.
But it also hints that many of these players no longer see a direct route to the first team.
In Livramento’s case, he has already made more appearances for Southampton than he ever did for Chelsea’s seniors.
Never fear, the Blues can just buy him back when they feel like it.
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