Jack Stephens

Jack Stephens came through Plymouth Argyle's youth setup, joining in 2005 and making his senior debut for the club in 2010. Southampton signed him in April 2011 for a fee of £150,000, and the club sent him out on a string of loans to gain experience: two spells at Swindon Town in 2014, then Middlesbrough and Coventry City the following two seasons.

Internationally, Stephens represented England at every youth level from U18 to U21, and was part of the England U21 squad that won the 2016 Toulon Tournament, without going on to earn a senior cap.

His time at the club has had its setbacks. In September 2021 he suffered a serious knee tendon injury against Manchester City that kept him out for three months. He has also picked up multiple red cards, including a three-match ban in April 2018 for throwing Jack Wilshere to the ground against Arsenal, a decision that drew scrutiny over the FA's disciplinary process for the match, and a dismissal against Chelsea in January 2023 for pulling Marc Cucurella's hair.

In the 2022–23 season Stephens went out on loan to Bournemouth in an unusual arrangement, with both his parent club and his loan club fighting relegation at the same time. In 2024, he won the EFL Championship play-offs with the club, securing promotion to the Premier League.