Ryan Bertrand. The player, the man

“Virgil was just wow… unbelievable. But Berty was definitely up there.”

While Ryan Bertrand is a picture of familiarity for Southampton supporters, it is still somewhat bizarre the full-back hasn’t had a chant from the terraces bestowed upon him. But make no mistake, the absence of song isn’t indicative of his standing within the fanbase, or the lack of affection towards him.

Seven years a Saint, Bertrand may be tune-less, but is undoubtedly one of, if not the best, signing the club have made since returning for their Premier League sequel.

Throughout the heavenly and hellish times, trapped within the most volatile, unpredictable periods, the 31-year-old has remained an infallible constant. Though the days of Ronald Koeman and his European adventure are deep into the odysseys of time, the sight of a certain full-back hustling up and down the left hand side casts as one of the few current pictures that evoke old emotions. And of course, all with the same languid, sometimes stoney exterior in tow.

“No, no, no,” laughs former Southampton defender Will Wood, asked if Bertrand’s infamous scowl ever came his way. “He’s really chilled out. He’s not aggressive at all. He’s a little bit of a moaner though – but I guess that’s seen at times in every footballer.

“I think he would moan quite a lot because he was really serious, and he wants to win. So anything little thing that happens, he would whinge about it.”

The overall message from those Prost International spoke to, both openly and off the record, highlighted similar observations. The general observation which often arose was his leisurely demeanour belies an inner resolve.

“He’s not as stoney faced as you see on the pitch,” continues Wood. “With the lads (in the dressing room) he was a joker that was always whinging about something. He always had a problem with something. But it was never horrible, he used to make a joke out of it. In fairness, he was really funny.”

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Think of a leader in football. Roy Keane and Tony Adams are generally the prevalent answers that spring to mind. Think of both. Their shoulders widened and their chest puffed and pea-cocked. They were seen as the truest form of barbarian leader. The men who inspired mere mortals through sheer presence alone.

If you ever (for some reason) dared to get on their wrong side, you would soon, rather painfully, know about it. Not only did they set the standards in the dressing room, they probably created them. To coin a Jose Mourinho expression, they would invariably use their own form of ‘confrontational leadership’ to eek the best out of every team-mate. Their standards and attitudes soon permeated through the team, through the entire club.

Fast forward to the year 2021, and think of a leader of men in football. The answer isn’t as clear right? Nowadays, leaders aren’t quite as discernible on the pitch. Modern day attitudes have changed and leadership can filter through in a myriad of ways. One size doesn’t fit all, just take a look at Roy Keane’s managerial career over the past decade; it’s not exactly brimming with various approaches from clubs.

At Southampton, a leader has remained over the past six years. Unlike Keane or Adams, he doesn’t scream himself into a frenzy or pin team-mates up against a wall. In fact, he would much rather give advice to the groundsman on how the St Mary’s turf could be improved, question the point of doing specific running drills or give an academy lad a couple of quid for Christmas, despite not realising he didn’t clean his boots.

This is Ryan Dominic Bertrand. The player, the man, the Southampton servant.

What makes the 31-year-old a rather tricky personality to package into a particular box is the duality of which he plays his football. Speak to any Southampton fan, use any search engine to find an image of Bertrand – there is no middle ground. He’s either portraying a stoney-scowl or a beaming smile.

In football and indeed most walks of life, you come across a blend of personalities. Some are relatively straight-forward to assume their personality-type, due to their obvious displays or non-displays of emotion. Most of the time, it’s pretty easy to characterise them into being an introvert or an extrovert.

Bertrand, on the other hand, is neither one or the other. He isn’t a picture of striking passion, but nor is he an introvert that can appear withdrawn.

While the left-back has captained the side on multiple occasions – Mark Hughes handed him the armband upon arrival in March 2018 – being the central leader out front of stage isn’t something that comes naturally to him. You only have to look at how the current team lineup in the tunnel, with Bertrand preferring to be the last one out, rather than the first.

“As a person he is really relaxed,” says Wood. “I think it’s because he had no pressure, he played like he had nothing to worry about. He didn’t really need to say anything, he just sort of done it. The way he played was so chilled out, he used to read the game really well without looking like he’d broke sweat.”

Wood concurs with the theory that the South Londoner’s loose and unhurried way of playing can sometimes make him an easy target, especially when things aren’t going so well. But statistics have continually proven to debunk and dispel some of those flimsy myths.

In 2020, Bertrand played the 14th most amount of minutes of any Premier League player (2689), and was the oldest player to complete such a total. James Ward-Prowse was the only Southampton team-mate to have recorded more time on the pitch than the 31-year-old, with 2880 minutes played.

Consistency and application are two words that are synonymous with Bertrand during his time at Southampton. Since joining in the 2014/15 season, he has massed 212 Premier league appearances for the club, averaging 30 games a season. That total, however, is expected to rise at the conclusion of this current campaign.

Unlike more hands-on leaders at Southampton – his successor Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg would like to lead a team discussion – Bertrand’s approach was more show than tell. “He did used to say a few things but nothing where it got to the point of sitting me down or anything like that,” admits Wood.

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“He would give me pointers in training on certain technical things and mainly tell me to relax as I was quite a 100 mile per hour player and he was just the complete opposite. I learned a lot from watching him and he’s had a big influence as I’ve got older now, realising slowing the game down is the best thing to do.”

From all of this, you might conclude that this is a player who is not one for big public pronouncements if they aren’t required, and that he can occasionally come across as one of those shy, reserved boys from one of those typical American high school films, reluctantly muttering words for the most part, only to somehow pluck up the courage to ask the pretty girl to dance at the end of year ball.

But the art to this form of leadership is to only say things if they are worth saying. Only reveal your inner thoughts and feelings when it is the correct, opportune moment.

During the tail-spinning times at St Mary’s, Bertrand’s unflappable appearance continues to exude calm to those within the club. When team-mates suffer a crisis of confidence, having a player alongside them who never appears flustered can provide solace.

During every peak and trough life routinely brings you when at Southampton football club, Bertrand has always cared. Despite still residing in Cobham, a large village in Surrey, it is understood Bertrand regularly plays a prominent role in managing the internal and external ongoings at Staplewood. He has a partiality for finding devil in the detail and does tend to point out some of the finer features, if he feels it would benefit the group going forward.

Bertrand’s unique personality can sometimes make first impressions misleading. Due to his distinctive characteristics not falling under one specific umbrella, former managers and coaches have to adapt and employ more bespoke methods of communication.

“He needs to have clear messages, structured messages and the way we play is very clear with the ball and without the ball,” asserts current boss Ralph Hasenhuttl. “This helps everybody and experienced players like it very much. He enjoys the way he plays I think.”

As detailed in The Athletic, Bertrand has been known to speak to the on-site groundsmen at St Mary’s and Staplewood, discussing the various conditions of the playing surfaces and giving ‘articulate’ feedback when conversing on the state of the grass.

Wood says Bertrand is an integral figure when it comes to welcoming academy players into the first-team set-up. Jake Vokins and Michael Obafemi have credited the full-back for helping them to both feel settled in.

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“I first trained when I was 17/18 with the first team under Ronald Koeman and Ryan was there,” says Wood. “I was so nervous. They were wearing a different training kit at the time. There was a winter one and then the normal summer one. But you had to wear the winter kit when training with the first team as it was the new one.

“I remember them saying ‘you’ve got to get your kit, you’re training with the first team today’. Automatically I was thinking ‘oh shit’, trying to get my head around it. But I did ok actually. I think I spent three days training with them. All the lads are good there really but especially the English lads like Berty. I absolutely haven’t got a bad word to say about him.”

Make no bones about it, Southampton have been good to him too. Before finding permanent refuge on the south coast, the formative years of Bertrand’s career appeared nomadic at times. Voyages away from Chelsea were punctuated by short term loan spells, which is often the case for academy graduates under Roman Abramovich.

All of this added to the overarching sense of instability transpiring in his career. While he was excellent in containing Arjen Robben in the 2012 Champions League final from his role as a left winger, Bertrand never quite felt part of the furniture.

After nine loan stints at seven different clubs, Southampton put an end to his free-wheeling days by signing him on a permanent deal in January 2015, four months before his initial season-long loan was set to expire. It is understood the fee involved was in the region of £10 million. Luke Shaw, the man he replaced, was sold for three times the amount.

Within football league changing rooms, there is a shared, stereotypical view of a footballer that has progressed through the ranks of a high-end Premier League club. They are commonly portrayed to be self-centred, disillusioned individuals and can come across as out of touch with the rest of the professional game.

But once joining Saints on a permanent deal, the man born in Southwark would instantly halt any prior misconceptions. “On and off the pitch he is so smart,” says former Southampton midfielder Jake Flannigan. “I could ask him anything about the game and he’d explain things well. Just generally an all-round good guy.”

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“I was a scholar,” recounts Wood. “I was actually cleaning Ryan’s boots at the time and he was always good with me. A few players used to complain about their boots not being properly cleaned and there was times where I didn’t clean his but he never moaned or said anything about it, so that was great. He sorted me out at Christmas with some money to say thanks.

“He’s just normal really. He’s a nice guy. Especially as he played in same position as me when I was coming up so I would look to replicate my game on him.”

Away from the pitch, Bertrand is continuing to develop a career in business as he contemplates life after football. The capped international has begun consulting for Sports Management and Promotional company, First Access Sports. It is believed Bertrand plays a part in advising the correct infrastructure for footballers and helps them sieve through the finer details that come with the job.

“In the agency world there’s a lot of people who actually don’t understand the mindset of the players,” Bertrand said in an interview with The Athletic last year. “There are a lot of players going out on loan or players leaving England to go abroad but you have to be clear with your objectives. You have to know the player’s tactics and the next club’s tactics and make sure it suits his playing style. They need to go somewhere that suits them to ensure they keep progressing.”

Despite the fluctuating, often vehement swings of emotion football can bring, Bertrand’s rationality provides team-mates a sense of perspective, particularly when results may be going awry. Wood believes his ‘down to earth’ personality allows academy graduates to remain level-headed, even through tricky times.

“He didn’t really used to say too much in particular but he was a good lively character in training. With the lads in the dressing room he was a joker and made you feel comfortable. I can never recall him once being rude towards managers or staff at all.”

Bertrand’s analytical mindset when it comes to business often emanates into his football, with most decisions requiring careful, meticulous thought. Though he isn’t one to rock the boat, there is a strong feeling amongst those who know him that he’s the type of person which needs to buy into a project before committing entirely.

The former Chelsea man generally requires an arriving manager to convince him with a style of football that will be conducive to progress. Providing a new stimulus that is both transparent and varying is also thought to be an essential aspect in Bertrand performing at his optimal. Regular feedback sessions with the manager, along with a refresh of instructions from time-to-time, can help fuel his passion.

“Ryan has had a lot of managers in his career,” a source says. “But he’s opinionated in the right way and has a level of importance in the team. Without doubt he is definitely one of the leaders.”

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After sensing a lack of direction under previous managers, it was no surprise Bertrand quickly became highly-impressed by Hasenhuttl’s ability to give the team such a clear identity and footballing framework so early into his tenure.

The full-back admired the way in which the incoming boss would explain each player’s role in the side, organising individual meetings to go through the finer points of what your own positional remit would entail. “I love giving support and receiving support,” Bertrand says. “It makes for more positive performances as a team.”

His precocious ability to speak-up when the situation necessitates was illustrated back in April of last year, when Southampton became the first Premier League side to take wage deferrals due to the cost of the pandemic. Reports suggest it was Bertrand who played a crucial role in getting the deal over the line.

He is understood to have explained to the rest of the squad why deferring a part of their wages was key to safeguarding the futures of non-playing staff and easing any issues of cash-flow COVID-19 might cause to the club. Within days, the deferment had been approved by each member of the team, leading to a percentage of their salaries being delayed in the months of April, May and June.

However, Bertrand isn’t always as abiding with all of the ongoings inside Staplewood. In case you were wondering if that nonplussed countenance you see on the pitch ever made made its way onto the training facility, then the answer is a resounding yes.

So what type of things would get Bertrand’s back up?

“If we had to do running he would say ‘what’s the point?,” laughs Wood. “But it was little things that he would utter and be said so drily would make the lads laugh. I wouldn’t say he was at the top of the comedy pack but he was funny and a big character with a big influence in the changing room.”

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While Bertrand’s dead-pan expressions can accompany some of his many incidences of irony, the high expectations he sets for himself must be similarly adhered to by others.

Flannigan, who trained and played with him for four seasons, believes his leisurely appearance is at odds to his earnest commitment to the cause. “At the same time (when making jokes) he was always very professional. He is someone with very first-class standards and expectations. For me he was helpful because he was so approachable.”

Perhaps having a song in the works for six years but never quite completed proves symbolic of his underrated status. Though Saints supporters will argue Bertrand has always been quietly vital, he’s continually found himself to be the second in-command, the support character to the chief protagonist.

Irrespective of the various superstars to have graced Staplewood with their presence to then only leave for loftier, Champions League-fuelled ambitions, Bertrand continues to underpin the platform that has enabled the likes of Virgil van Dijk and Sadio Mane to flourish.

“Virgil was just… wow. Unbelievable. But Berty was definitely up there,” Wood says, letting out a puff of air to emphasise his point. “Obviously with Ryan’s previous at Chelsea you could tell he was good player. To come through that club, make league appearances and win a Champions League as well, you knew he was going to be quality.

“I just used to like the way he would read the game. Not particularly fast or strong. He just read the game really well. When he was in possession, he would always make the right choice and that was why he was and still is, so consistent.”

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Bearing in mind he’s a Champions League winner, a 2012 Olympian for Team Great Britain and arguably one of the most consistent left-backs over much of the past decade, there is more than enough evidence to suggest he’s been mostly overlooked at international level.

Since making his debut in 2012, the proceeding nine years have yielded just 19 caps, with the last of those coming in 2017. “I do think Ryan should have made more England appearances,” says a source. “Although there’s so many good players in that position, Luke (Shaw) being one, he definitely deserved more.”

Ryan Bertrand is an intuitive deep-thinker, with a personality that isn’t always the easiest to read. This can sometimes draw misconceptions or fray the truth. But whether it’s his chats with the groundsman, his ironic satire or his distinct approach to leadership, a lot of what you see is often the very anthesis to his profound affection towards Southampton.

His emphasis on the team collective and the ability to manage external factors has been highly influential in helping smooth the turbulent times at St Mary’s. In December against West Ham, Bertrand recorded his 200th appearance in red and white and more recently, brought up the prestigious landmark of 250 Premier League games.

“I’ve got nothing bad to say about him,” Wood says, when asked for a final reflection of his old team-mate. “Like I say, I cleaned his boots when I was young and he was always good with me. He was a good lad and a brilliant player, who I learnt a lot from. I’ll be forever grateful for the help he gave me.”

Ryan Bertrand, the player, the man, the Southampton servant. The club’s finest signing of this Premier League era.