In the seconds after Southampton disposed of Arsenal to set up an FA Cup semi-final with Manchester City, a camera operator rushed onto the St Mary's pitch to find the match-winner. As the crowd swayed to Doris Day's 'Que Sera, Sera,' another lasting image was born.
Between high-fiving and embracing teammates, Shea Charles tilted his head toward the camera, raising his eyebrows with a playful expression. That snapshot became a viral meme, viewed by millions on social media. A couple of days later, Southampton asked their players to recreate the moment. 'I just looked at the camera as if I was looking at my mates down the lens,' Charles says. 'I've seen it's gone all over.'
From City Academy to Wembley Dream
This Saturday, 50 years after winning the Cup under Lawrie McMenemy, the Championship club returns to Wembley to face City, whom Charles joined at age seven and left three years ago for Southampton in a £15m deal. He grew up in Flixton on the outskirts of Manchester and joined City's academy alongside Patrick Vieira, who was starting a youth-development role.
There is a photograph from that time of Charles and his teammates meeting Vincent Kompany on a tour of City's training ground. 'That was such a mad day for all of us,' says Charles, now a No. 6. 'At that age, there were a lot of City fans in the group. All the boys signing on for under-nines got a treat to see some players and then we went to the game where City beat United 1-0 [in April 2012], when Kompany scored the header.'
Learning from the Best
One of Charles's final acts for City was a captain's speech after retaining the Premier League 2 title, a month before Pep Guardiola gave him his Premier League debut at Brentford. 'I came on around the 63rd minute,' he recalls. 'I got told to warm up and I remember making sure it was me they were talking to. Then he said: 'You know how good you are, just go and do what you do in training.''
Charles first trained with Guardiola's group at 17, when first-team regulars were absent due to Covid-19 and the postponed Euro 2020. 'When you first go up, as a City fan, I was a bit starstruck. Suddenly I'm training with Mahrez. Fernandinho was there, someone I always tried to ask things. He helped me with little details – positioning, knowing when to drop at the right time. And Rodri as well. I ended up playing against Rodri in a friendly... it's not fun to play against him.'
Clutch Performances and Leadership
Charles's first Saints goal came at Anfield in a Carabao Cup defeat last September. His ice-cool finish against Arsenal, controlling the ball on his left foot and finding the corner with his right, was another clutch moment. There was his 96th-minute winner in February's 4-3 turnaround at Leicester, and a goal-of-the-season contender against Oxford last month from 30 yards with an expected goals factor of 0.011.
Last weekend, after coming on at half-time at Swansea, he equalised in a game Southampton won to fuel hopes of automatic promotion. Saints were 21st when Ivan Juric took over in November but are now three points off second-placed Ipswich, whom they host on Tuesday.
Juric recently acknowledged Charles's progression from prospect to consistent performer. The 22-year-old believes last season's loan at Sheffield Wednesday, where he won player of the season and played alongside his younger brother Pierce, enhanced his development. 'I feel like my time at Wednesday really helped me come into my own, having a lot of responsibility within a team and playing a lot of games.'
Facing the Ultimate Test
Charles's winner against Arsenal was typical of his understated style. As teammates celebrated, he was debriefing the game with Sam Edozie, one of three former City youngsters who could face their former club. 'My dad's dead chill, so that's probably where it stems from,' says Charles. 'If we go behind in a game, I like to think that I'm a cool head that people can turn to as a leader.'
In midweek, Southampton made it 20 games unbeaten – Lincoln are the only side in the top four tiers on a longer streak. Saints have won eight of their past nine but face the ultimate test. 'We managed to do it against Arsenal, so we feel like we can do it against anyone,' Charles says. 'We know we're up against probably the best team in the country right now, so it's another exciting challenge.'
