JOSH Sims is hoping his loan spell in America with the New York Red Bulls won’t see him forgotten at Saints.

Although leaving the St Mary’s side on a temporary basis didn’t take anyone by surprise, his destination across the Atlantic Ocean certainly did.

Sims himself described the move as out of the blue but insisted that Saints have been great at keeping tabs on the progress he’s making.

“On paper, it seems a bit of a weird one but there was thought behind it,” revealed the academy lad.

“With Ralph, the manager at Southampton, being from a Red Bull team, the way he sort of sets up the team with tactics at Southampton is similar to this.

“Southampton are very good. They watch all the games, they ask me how I’m getting on during the week. I’m not just sort of out of sight, out of mind. 

“That’s a big thing as well because I’m still a Southampton player so I don’t want to be forgotten about. I don’t feel forgotten about.”

Sims enjoyed a brief spell back in the Saints team last season when he returned from his loan spell at Reading.

A brief cameo against Tottenham off the bench was enough for manager Ralph Hasenhuttl to select him more frequently in the following weeks.

In total, Sims made seven appearances from the beginning of March to the end of the campaign.

The decision to head out on loan to New York will see the winger afforded more minutes on the pitch with a team that plays a similar brand of football to Hasenhuttl’s side.

Due to their style of play, Sims explained that it was easier to join a team that is more akin to the one he was leaving.

He added: “The Red Bull teams are similar to this, they want high pressing, so there was that behind that.

“The way they play, it’s good for me, to get game time here playing the same way they do back at home.”