Five players who improved after leaving Southampton | OneFootball

Southampton have seen many great players come and unfortunately, many great players go. With that in mind, here are five players who improved after leaving Southampton.

Unfortunately, Southampton is a selling club by its very nature. Throughout history, for better or for worse, Southampton has been the hub for talent in the eyes of other clubs.

The Saints are great producers of young talent. In fact, the only thing they are better at than producing young talent is selling that same talent.

Still, it does mean that Southampton has a pretty impressive alumni of former players. That said, let's take a bittersweet trip down memory lane. Here are five players who improved after leaving Southampton...

Five players who improved after leaving Southampton

1. Gareth Bale

Perhaps the best player in history with Southampton on their CV, this list was made with Gareth Bale in mind.

Many neutral fans forget this, but Gareth Bale actually begun his career at Southampton. The reason why this is forgotten about is a testament to the Welshman, who went onto have a splendid career.

Bale signed for Tottenham Hotspur after the Saints. However, his success came after that, when Real Madrid made him a five time Champions League winner. Now, he is regarded as one of the best of all time in his position.

2. Sadio Mane

Sadio Mane left behind quite the legacy at Southampton. In fact, his record as the fastest Premier League hat-trick ever scored still stands from his Southampton days.

However, looking back at his remarkable career, people will remember his post-Southampton days more. This is because at Liverpool, Sadio Mane became one of the best players in the world.

There, he won the Premier League and the Champions League. He also won the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich, which has to count for something.

3. Theo Walcott

Theo Walcott played for Southampton on two different occasions. However, it is fair to say that Walcott is cherished more by Arsenal fans than Southampton fans, despite both sets of supporters recognising his incredible talent.

Theo Walcott is the 16th highest goal-scorer for Arsenal. Considering how big Arsenal are and their incredible history, this is quite remarkable.

4. Virgil van Dijk

Virgil van Dijk is rightfully considered as one of the best defenders in the world. However, Southampton saw his potential first and Saints fans were proven right when his talents became more universally recognised.

VvD was already a success in his own right before joining Southampton. However, the Saints introduced him to the Premier League, which he went on to win after leaving. At Liverpool, he also won the Champions League in the same team as Sadio Mane.

5. Luke Shaw

Southampton fans were given a wave of nostalgia when Luke Shaw scored the only goal for England in the EURO 2020 final. Unfortunately, it wasn't to be for the Three Lions but nobody can deny the player Luke Shaw had become after leaving Southampton.