A SPECIAL LOYALTY..

I`m not sure I`ve got too many heroes but here`s one of them  Matthew Le Tissier spent the whole of his footballing career at Southampton, in the process scoring 161 goals in 443 games for the club.  And what goals they were - mostly stemming from his natural talent and more often than not keeping Southampton in the top echelon of domestic football season after season.

His talent was never in doubt but some, perhaps more hard nosed taskmasters, questioned his commitment - his `work rate` - which limited his international appearances for England to just eight games.  Perhaps too he was guilty of playing for the `wrong club,` as Southampton have almost always been viewed as provincial, unfashionable and a little out of the way.

Now, he had a number of offers to leave the old ground at The Dell and move to the big cities and be paid more handsomely than the Saints could ever afford.   But he resisted such moves, preferring instead to be as close to his Guernsey roots as he could be and feeling a deep and special sense of loyalty to the club which had given him the chance to pursue his professional career in an environment in which he felt valued and comfortable.

I was privileged to watch him play on a number of occasions and to attend his testimonial game at the spanking new St. Mary`s Stadium after his retirement.   Oh, and I still have my own Sanderson shirt in the wardrobe. 

Today is MLT`s 50th birthday (one of that rare breed who is known simply by his initials) and I wish him well and thank him for the years of entertainment, loyalty and breathtaking brilliance that he brought to my club.