TYRONE Mings insists he doesn’t hold “any grudges” against Saints after they released him as a youngster.

The former Bournemouth defender, who joined Aston Villa for £26m this summer, is line to make an England appearance at St Mary’s on Tuesday.

And after Saints let him go over concerns with his height as a 16-year-old, he claims there’s no ill-feeling towards the south coast side.

“I don’t hold any grudges against Southampton for the decision they made,” Mings revealed.

 “It was fully justified at the time. I wasn’t big enough at the time and not physically developed as I needed to be to go into the under‑18s professional set-up.

“I respect their decision fully.

“There were people probably better equipped to go in at that moment. Southampton weren’t doing too well with their first-team and with their budgets and were probably fully justified.”

It would be a strange turn of events if he is to make his Three Lions debut in their Euro 2020 qualifier against Kosovo at St Mary’s.

Mings believes it would be “fitting” for it to happen like that, especially after what happened to him as a youngster.

However, he insisted that he’d be happy to make his debut for Gareth Southgate anywhere.

Mings added: “It would be fitting if I made my England debut at St Mary’s Stadium but it wouldn’t make it more or less special than making it at any other stadium.”