Jordy Clasie is facing a watershed time in his Saints career as he tries to convince new manager Claude Puel he can fulfil his potential at St Mary’s.

The 25-year-old midfielder was signed to much fanfare a year ago, with Saints paying £8m to bring him to England.

Much was expected of Clasie but his first season was something of a mixed bag as he struggled to get to grips with the physicality of life in English football.

Ronald Koeman, who was the man who pushed for his signature, believed fully in Clasie’s abilities having managed him before at Feyenoord.

He insisted that Clasie needed a season to be broken into life in the Premier League but would flourish in his second campaign.

With Koeman gone, Clasie now has to prove to Puel that he has the ability to produce at the level his fellow Dutchman believed he could.

Part of that will be proving that he has the physicality to be able to play every week.

In his first season at the club Clasie only completed a full 90 minutes three times in his 23 starts in all competitions, with Koeman often withdrawing him with at least 20 minutes to go to protect him.

Koeman was also reluctant to play him more than once a week.

Clasie is facing plenty of competition to try and make himself a first team regular.

With Puel looking as though he will play a three in central midfield, that leaves Clasie competing with a host of other players to get in the side.

With Clasie unlikely to play the deep lying central role, on the basis of pre-season thus far he faces competition from Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, James Ward-Prowse, Steven Davis and Harrison Reed.

Clasie has reported feeling fit and strong during this summer, which raises hope that he may be able to bring to St Mary’s what Saints fans have been hoping he would deliver.

In Holland, Clasie had a reputation as being a tenacious worker and a very talented ball player, which are the exact qualities Puel will need if he sticks with the kind of formation he has been working on.

Clasie is hoping to get another chance to prove himself this afternoon as Saints round off their tour to Holland with a game against FC Groningen.

There are then two further chances to impress away from the training ground with the St Mary’s friendlies with Espanyol and Athletic Bilbao on the horizon before the Premier League kick-off against Watford two weeks today.