When Shea Charles joined Southampton he was still in his teens but he was mature beyond his years and it was apparent while not quite ready for the Premier League it would only be a matter of time. When Saints regained their top-flight status after his first season it was still thought expedient to give him another year in the Championship so he went on loan to Sheffield Wednesday where he continually shone in a defensive midfield role. When Saints duly came straight back down he faced his third consecutive season in the second tier and it was a little surprising he often found himself being used from the bench. Nevertheless during 2025-26 he scored some memorable and important goals, notably the winner against Arsenal in the FA Cup and the deciding goal to see off Middlesbrough in the Play-Offs semi-final. When Saints were subsequently denied the chance to return to the Premier League it meant they were destined to lose him and it was to be Craven Cottage where he would rather belatedly be introduced to life at the top and Fulham had to pay a record fee for a Northern Irish international to make it happen.