PAS Lamia forward Samuele Longo has admitted if he had the chance to go back in his career, he would have joined Mauricio Pochettino at Southampton.
The 31-year-old has been speaking to Numero Diaz regarding his career and various decisions he’s made, and those he wishes he had.
He’s currently playing for PAS Lamia in Greece, the latest in a long line of varied clubs in a career that’s seen him playing in Italy, Spain and the Netherlands also.
One part of his career saw him playing under Pochettino at Espanyol, featuring in ten games, managing three goals and one assist.
Their time together was a brief one as Pochettino was sacked after a 2-0 loss to Getafe at the end of November in 2012.
He arrived at Southampton in January and was handed the keys to build that summer after keeping them in the Premier League.
Part of his plans involved a potential reunion with Longo, who now regrets that it didn’t come to fruition after he accepted his agent’s advice.
“In my first year at Espanyol I had Pochettino as my coach, who wanted me there,” he said.
“During the season he was sacked because the team was not doing well and the following year he went to Southampton.
“My dream has always been to play in the Premier League. During the summer we had contacts, and I was very happy, but my agent’s decision at the time was to stay in Italy.
“I was a kid and I trusted him and said: ‘If you think so, then it means it’s the best thing for me’. If I could go back, I would say: ‘No, I want to go to Southampton’ and try to force my hand.”
