The worst kept secret has now been confirmed and Saints have announced that Adam Lallana has returned to St Mary's on a free transfer, after leaving Brighton & Hove Albion at the end of his contract.
Southampton FC have officially confirmed that Adam Lallana will once again be a Saint for the following season, 10 years after leaving the club to join Liverpool in somewhat controversial circumstances.
Back July 2014 we covered the situation and you can read what was said then using the following link Adam Lallana's Echo Statement Backfires .
I like many supporters was hurt and upset at his departure, in many respects more so than any of the other departures in the summer of 2014, Rickie Lambert may have been the main hero of the fans, but Adam Lallana was loved just as much and his leaving hurt more because he was seen as one of us, he was one of our own as the song goes.
He was seen as a loyal player and we had hoped that he would put the love of the club first, for many it was perhaps the first time in years we had lost a true legend for what appeared to be money.
Saints fans were not surprised to see him go, indeed no one actually begrudged him the move, no one could say he hadn't shown loyalty and commitment in the 8 seasons he has served the club since his first team debut in August 2006 in a 5-2 victory against Yeovil in the League Cup.
In that time he had played in 235 League games for the club, he had stayed loyal as we slipped into League One and he had been a major part of our revival, scoring 48 times in those games encompassing three divisions, add on another 30 games in other competitions and he was a true club legend.
No one was complaining that he was leaving, it was all about the manner in which he left, I won't dwell on it here, you can read all about it in the link above.
But the problem for most Saints fans was that we still loved him, but he had left us for another , that another being Liverpool, it hurt and it hurt badly, it was a love affair gone sour and we Southampton fans were the spurned party.
But time moves on and the hurt diminishes and over the years, so the news he is going to return should be viewed on a pragmatic note, he is signing on a one year contract and he is not costing us a fee, yes his best years are behind him, but he has a lot to offer the squad, I would not imagine he will start many games, but his Premier League experience in the dressing room will be invaluable.
Some have suggested that it will be a Theo Walcott situation, but it is different, Walcott was not an influencer on the training ground, in the dressing room and indeed on the pitch, Lallana is all three, he will not command the wage that Theo did and a one year contract is going to be a drop in the ocean for his services.
I might have felt hurt and spurned 10 years ago, but I can forgive, although not perhaps completely forget what happened a decade ago.
So welcome back Adam Lallana, hopefully you can restore the love in the majority of the Saints fanbase, if not all of it.
Adam Lallana deserved to be called a legend of Southampton Football Club, for the service given in his first stint, that has been soured, but it can't be scrubbed from the records, it was real it happened, I hope that this reminds us of that and finally enables him to be recognised again as a true Saints legend.
Adam had this to say on the Club's website:
Speaking about his Staplewood homecoming,
"I’ve been no stranger – my son’s at the Academy, so I’m in and around it quite a bit, but I’ve not been this close to being home, so it’s amazing. It does feel surreal, but it’s an opportunity I’m extremely grateful for and I’m looking forward to."
"When I started speaking to Russell and understood there was a little bit of interest, it was something I knew straightaway felt right in my head and in my heart that it was something I needed to pursue, and it came through in the end.
"I’m extremely happy to come back to where it all started. Although it sounds like a bit of a fairy tale, in my head there’s still a job to do and I’m really confident I’ve still got a lot to give to this football club.”
Russell Martin said: "I’m delighted that we could bring Adam back home to where it all began for him. Adam has the DNA of this club running through him and brings vital experience as we prepare for the Premier League.
"We’re going to need everyone to play a part again this coming season and Adam helps us create real depth and know-how in midfield.”