Why the Spurs star’s situation may surprise Southampton and MK Dons
Born in Austria, Kevin Danso and his family relocated to England when he was just six years old. He would later enrol in MK Dons’ Under-9 academy. Without ever playing a senior game for the Buckinghamshire team, he will depart the club in 2014 to start his professional football career with FC Augsburg in Germany.
He became the youngest player to ever make their Bundesliga debut in March 2017 at the age of 18 years and 165 days. A week later, he signed a new four-year contract with the German team. Despite his early potential, the Austrian was unable to secure a spot in Augsburg’s starting lineup for the following two years due to a mix of injuries and competition from Martin Hinteregger and Jeffrey Gouweleeuw.
Compatriot Ralph Hasenhuttl brought Danso to Southampton, a Premier League team at the time, on loan with a buyout option in August 2019 despite his lack of playing time. To put it mildly, Danso’s tenure at St. Mary’s did not quite go as planned. Playing the entire 90 minutes in a 2-0 away triumph at Brighton and Hove Albion on his debut, the Austrian’s start to life on the South Coast could not have gone better, but regrettably for him and Southampton supporters, it was not a sign of things to come.
Danso would begin the season as a left-back, but his career took a turn for the worst when he was sent off for two yellow cards in a 1-1 home draw against Manchester United in just his second game with the team. Danso made a comeback to the starting lineup at home against Bournemouth after missing the following match against Sheffield United due to suspension; nevertheless, Ryan Bertrand would replace him at halftime as they lost 3-1.
He would only play eight minutes in the next three games as he lost favour, but he would return to the starting lineup against Leicester City. His Southampton career was effectively ruined by what transpired later. In what was damage limitation for the Saints, Danso was substituted at halftime after Bertrand was sent off in the 12th minute, leaving Southampton behind 5-0 at the half. Danso would only play for the team once more before spending the remainder of the season either warming the bench or out of the squad as they lost 9-0 at home, which would be the joint-biggest Premier League loss ever.
MK Southampton saw Danso at his worst, Dons never saw his full potential, and neither team could have foreseen the path he would take. After spending the next season on loan at Fortuna Dusseldorf in the German second division, where he saw consistent playing time and missed just two league games, Danso moved to Lens in Ligue 1 in August 2021. The 27-year-old played in the Champions League, Europa League, and Europa Conference League during his three-and-a-half years at the North East of France, where he was a key member of the back line.
In January 2025, he would sign a loan deal with Ange Postecoglou’s Spurs, making 15 appearances across all competitions as the team suffered its lowest top-flight finish in 48 years while winning the Europa League to earn European glory. Danso’s move was finalised this summer for an estimated £21 million, but he has only played 16 minutes of Premier League football this season under new manager Thomas Frank. After stints with both Southampton and MK Dons, supporters may be baffled by Danso’s career since he is now a reliable Premier League player and a full-fledged fixture in the Austrian national squad.
Read more news on sportupdates.co.uk
Leave a Reply