Tino Libramento, who played for England U21 ahead of Euro 2023 qualifiers in Slovenia on Thursday, knows leaving Chelsea is the right move; he moved from the Blues to Southampton for £5m in the summer and against his childhood club in a 3-1 defeat on Saturday
Tino Rivramento has shined since arriving in Southampton in the summer
Tino Rivlamento admits he needs to leave Chelsea for the sake of his career.
Since his £5m transfer from the Blues in the summer, the 18-year-old right-back has been Southampton's star player.
The Saints beat the Saints 3-1 on Saturday, playing his first game at Stamford Bridge to win a James Ward-Prouss converted penalty.
Rivramento, who now plays for England U21 ahead of Euro 2023 qualifiers in Slovenia, knows leaving the club of his childhood is the right move.
He said: "I don't think if I stay there or do something else then [playing in the Premier League] won't be as fast as it is now. I wouldn't say I had any regrets, but it would have been good [having played for Chelsea].
"I had to think about what was best for me. When I was young, I always wanted to play in the first team as soon as possible.
"It was a tough decision for all involved. They agreed that it was also the best for me and that they took care of me all the time.
"I've been at Chelsea for so long, I'm a fan and I've never played a competitive game at Stamford Bridge. Saturday was a bit strange, but I just prefer to play against Chelsea and the guys I've trained for.
"I bought season tickets there for three years, but my dad and brother are still gone – my brother is still a Chelsea fan.
Southampton's Rivramento is the latest English right-back to emerge in the Premier League
"You're there watching the games and then through the academy I've played a couple of youth games on the pitch, but nothing compares to a packed Premier League. It feels a little strange on the other side.
"I would never say bad things about how they treated me growing up and developing me into the player I am today. This is probably the best academy in the world anyone wants to develop. ”
Rivramento was one of a group of talented British right-backs, with Trent Alexander-Arnold, Rees Silva and The Favourite. James, Kieran Trippier and Kyle Walker are all vying for senior team positions.
"They all praised each other, they were so good at what they were doing, so hard that it was difficult to choose one person to start each game," Livramento added.
'They all have different qualities and it's encouraging to look up to them, especially someone like Reece, who was at Chelsea and has been very good and is now playing his game, taking a step towards his seniors and not looking back.'