IT'S ALEX CHAMBERLAIN WEEK: 2nd to 8th January 2011

We are marking the start of the New Year by breaking a Southampton World tradition. We have, until now, restricted our commemorative weeks to former Saints stars but will now occasionally include key members of the current squad............and we start this week with Alex Chamberlain, who although just 17 years old, has so far this season been voted Man of the Match 4 times by Southampton World members for his displays against Rochdale, MK Dons, Colchester and Dagenham & Redbridge.

Alexander Mark D. "Alex" Oxlade-Chamberlain (born in Portsmouth on 15 August 1993) joined the Southampton F.C. Academy at the age of seven and made his professional debut in 2010.

On 2 March 2010, he made his first team debut for Southampton, at 16 years 199 days, coming off the bench in a 5–0 victory over Huddersfield Town and became the club's second youngest ever appearance maker behind Theo Walcott. Chamberlain later appeared as an 82nd minute substitute for Jason Puncheon on 8 May in the final game of the season against Southend United.

At the beginning of the 2010–11 season, Chamberlain made his first competitive start on 10 August against Bournemouth in the first round of the League Cup. During the match he scored the second goal in Southampton's 2-0 victory, it was his first senior goal.

On 20 August, shortly after his 17th birthday, Chamberlain signed his first professional contract, which should last for three years. His first league start came in a 2–0 loss at home to Rochdale on 4 September. His first league goal came in a 2–1 victory over Oldham on 23 October 2010, which proved to be the match winner, and he scored two more goals and also got an assist in a 4–0 win over Dagenham & Redbridge on 2 November 2010, when he was voted Man of the Match in a league game for the first time.

Alex was called up to England under-18 for the match against Poland which took place on 16 November 2010.

He is the son of former Portsmouth and England International player Mark Chamberlain and the nephew of Neville Chamberlain.