Southampton Football Club has confirmed that Shane long will not be at St Mary's in this coming season, every Saints fan should wish him well going forward for the great service he has given to the Club.

Shane Long has ended his time at St Mary's, Saints have issued a statement confirming he has left the club, although they have not confirmed whether it was a club decision to not offer him a new deal or whether the Irish Striker has decided to move to pastures anew.

One thing is for certain if there is any Southampton supporter that does want to thank him for his service and does not want to wish Shane all the best of luck wherever his career or indeed life takes him, then they not only have very short memories and are very uncharitable and yes he like every other professional footballer in the Premier League was well paid for their services, that doesn't come into it.

Long arrived in 2014 to a club in turmoil after the departure of CEO Nicola Cortese and also manager Mauricio Pochettino, with a raft of big name departures that summer, many Saints fans took to the message boards to predict relegation for the club in 2014/15 season.

They pointed out that selling the likes of Adam Lallana & Dejan Lovren and replacing them with unknowns such as Sadio Mane, journeymen like Shane Long & Graziano Pelle and reserve team loan signings such as Toby Alderweireld was a recipe for disaster, that the club was a selling club, had no ambition and was a shambles.

The rest as they say is history and Shane long played a full part in that history, Ok he was not the most prolific scorer, but his job was making and creating chances for others and this was to be Long's lot for most of his time at St Mary's, never the main attraction and always the work horse.

That was perhaps best exampled near the end of that first season when Saints beat Aston Villa 6-1 at St Mary's, the game is remembered for the fastest hat trick in Premier League history by Sadio Mane, what is forgotten by many is that it wasn't Mane who was the real man of the match it was Shane Long who created two of Mane's goals and scored two himself, one a long distance effort which was the goal of the match.

His second season could perhaps be described as his best, again Pelle & Mane took the plaudits, both scoring 11 goals in the Premier League, but Long was only a single goal behind them both on 10 and when you take into account his work rate and assists he was a more valuable player than both that season although you would not think so speaking to some Saints supporters.

2016/18 was one of change again in the club and although Claude Puel has been vilified in some quarters, fact is he had one of the top 10 seasons in the entire history of SFC, getting 8th place and a League Cup final.

Long played a vital role in this run, at Liverpool with Saints desperately defending a 1-0 lead from the first leg semi final game at St Mary's, Saints had a rare break and up popped Shane Long to score in the 89th minute and suddenly the 4,500 Saints fans behind that goal knew we were at Wembley, if you were there that night and let's remember that many didn't go because they whinged on message boards in the week before the game that we were going to get beat so why bother, meaning we sent back 1,500 tickets, then this was a moment that none there that night would want to have ever missed, the sheer joy and explosion of relief and celebration when that goal went it was one of my best ever Saints moments.

Things were always going to slow up for Shane Long after this season, he was now the wrong side of 30, but he remained a vital part of the squad, strikers came and went but he stayed.

Those that said he stole a wage and again there were more than was respectable for a player who uncomplainingly just got on with things, were short sighted.

In April 2019, Long wrote his name into the Premier League history books by scoring the competition’s fastest-ever goal, taking just 7.69 seconds to break the deadlock against Watford.

In his past few years he was obviously never going to be a first choice, he was a player that relied on work rate and pace and the body catches up with you after 30, but he adapted his game and by the end of the season just gone he had become a vital member of the squad.

He was now a player to come on and kill the game when we were holding on to a lead or even a point, he would come on, hold the ball up, draw fouls and harass the back four, he saw us home in some very tight games, Palace away, Spurs away, Leeds away, Arsenal at home and perhaps most fittingly Everton at home when he came on and with his first touch scored to put Saints 2-0 up and stop the Everton comeback in it's tracks.

That would be his last goal for Saints, but what a way to end your scoring career.

In his 8 year career with the club he started 95 Premier League games plus another 103 as sub scoring 28 goals, given the change in his role over the years that is a very respectable tally.

Perhaps some of his best moments and form came in the cup competitions, in the FA Cup he started 17 games plus 4 as sub and scored 4 times, the last being at Swansea this season to take us into the next round, that goal helped pay some of the wages that some say he stole.

In the League cup 7 starts and 11 as sub with 4 goals and in Europe 4 starts plus 4 as sub with just the 1 goal.

Thats an overall total of 245 games for Southampton FC and 37 goals, but perhaps his greatest contribution to Saints will never be properly measured or appreciated and that was his work rate and the chances that it created as well as the way you closed down defences and defended from the front, something that was underappreciated right up to the end.

So I think I speak for the majority of Saints supporters in wishing Shane Long well for his future what and wherever it may be, thank you for the way you conducted yourself in all your time at Southampton FC and if we had had a few more players with your work rate and application and dedication to the cause during your 8 year spell, we might just have done a little bit better than we did.

Photo: Action Images

zonehead added 15:11 - Jul 1 Always felt more secure defensively as a team when Shane was playing, good luck I will miss him.
4

SaintPaulVW added 15:17 - Jul 1 Wish him well. Cracking player. All the best Shane.
4

AmericanSaint added 15:17 - Jul 1 I wish him well and loved his work rate. So many other players who come in as a sub, dont really try, but not Shane. He ran at everyone and never gave up. Best of luck to him.
3

I_would added 15:41 - Jul 1 Perhaps the new regime do know what they're doing after all. No more players on £600k per minute played. No more falling on his face with his arms and legs out hoping for decision. No more multiple offsides. Great. Bye Longy!
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highfield49 added 15:52 - Jul 1 Not the greatest player ever to wear the shirt but for fitness, attitude and professionalism there's few better. All the best Shane.
3

A1079 added 15:56 - Jul 1 I sincerely wish Shane Long well in whatever he does. He has been a good servant to the club and no one can fault his work ethic. If I am honest, as a striker (which he was signed for) he has been disappointing and in some respects that has been costly. His finishing at times was woeful (though more recently he is not alone in that field). But when he played, especially when he came on from the bench as far as I can tell he gave his all and sometimes he was the old experienced head that was needed to calm things down.

6

landsdownsaint added 16:36 - Jul 1 I’m gonna sound harsh here but it’s a step in the right direction by the club & hopefully Stephens & Mcarthy won’t be far behind him but he never hid when things weren’t going good … farewell & goodluck Shane
2

saintpete01 added 17:09 - Jul 1 A massive thank you Shane A great professional giving always 100% + Good luck for the future
4

saintpete01 added 17:12 - Jul 1 Ps Reading would be a good fit
1

IanRC added 17:28 - Jul 1 Will miss him, been a great servant to the club. Good luck Shane.
3

felly1 added 17:36 - Jul 1 Loved his workrate when he was on the pitch and was quite pacey back in the day. No escaping the fact he was a poor finisher though. Glad the club never gave him a new contract as his time was definitely up. Nevertheless a big thankyou to Shane for his efforts over the years. He'll always be welcomed back.
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WestSussexSaint added 18:04 - Jul 1 One of the modern favourites in a Saints shirt. Always gave 100% which counts for so much in the eyes of fans. The goal against Liverpool will be my favourite for a “long” time . Pardon the pun!
2

BESaint added 18:06 - Jul 1 One of my favourite memories of Shane Long is the boxing day destruction of Arsenal, 4-0, also my daughter's first match, Shane was fantastic! Thank you Mr. Long!
2

YosemiteSaint added 18:44 - Jul 1 Good luck to Shane, who will always be among my all-time fave Saints. He may not have _scored_ many goals, but we may never really know how many goals he created via his behind-the-scenes work off the ball. Many times I wished he'dve been a purer striker for us, but then reminded myself that keeping him in the side meant we wouldn't have to play _against_ him.
2

halftimeorange added 18:56 - Jul 1 Although he had certain limitations, if many of his teammates had shown the same resolution and effort as Shane, we would have been much harder to beat. I begrudge him nothing.
3

wrathoftazz added 20:06 - Jul 1 I honestly wish him the best. He wasn't always the best or the quickest but his dedication and professional approach will be what is remembered.
2

I_would added 21:16 - Jul 1 He wasn't the best or the quickest or a goalscorer or the best at assists. He wasn't able to stay onside for more that two minutes and he used to fall over if a pigeons feather brushed up against him but he was keen and he ran about a lot at the end of games we'd already lost. I'll really miss him.
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saintmark1976 added 21:55 - Jul 1 I would, I’m not sure but I get the impression that you didn’t like Shane? Your original post being downvoted thirteen times to date must be an all time record for The Ugly. Oh well, you are entitled to your opinion even if on this occasion it appears to be the wrong one.
4

claus5 added 22:52 - Jul 1 Dear i would, WHY do you bother?
3

I_would added 01:10 - Jul 2 Drivel needs offsetting. Someone's got to do it.
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WestSussexSaint added 09:07 - Jul 2 I_would, I’m sure Shane is desperately upset that he is leaving and losing your unwavering support.
2

Colburn added 11:00 - Jul 2 I think the majority of Saints fans have had their criticisms of most players over the years at times, in respect of form or individual games. But when a player leaves, you have to evaluate everything they have done for the club and in particular focus on the positives. I agree it is time for Longy to move on and he has not been used as much as his age gets the better of his legs, however, what an incredible attitude he had to his work, loyal, hard working, selfless and with special moments. I'm glad this article remembered his motm performance when Mane got his hat trick and I can't think of many better moments as a Saints fan than the goal at Anfield.. Every aspect of that goal and what it meant in that blink of an eye was magical. To have the fastest goal in the premier league when we didn't have the kick off sums up his hunger, desire and persistence with working hard off the ball and this record is his reward and another great feeling for Saints fans. That's what I'll remember him for and I wish him all the very best in his next venture and thank him for the memories.

6

I_would added 12:54 - Jul 2 I am extremely surprised to see that quite a few people, mainly on here, admired Longy for being keen and willing to play 2-4 mins occasionally for £60k. Is he going to say to Ralph, "sorry mate I don't feel like it today, I had a late night strumming my guitar?" Tom answer Saint Mark, -16 is not a record, I've had more than that before. The more negatives I get on here the more I consider it positive confirmation regarding my content.

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saintmark1976 added 14:16 - Jul 2 I would, your latest post tells everybody all they need to know about what type of person you are. It really is that simple.
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I_would added 15:42 - Jul 2 SM. You don't see much in the way of personal comments from me. Perhaps that says something about yourself, as I'm only interested in what Saints are up to and whether the team is getting better not. As far as Long goes he has hardly played, scored about the same as Salisu, was offside more times than minutes he played, and is lauded on here as a striker! You couldn't make it up.

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