Top 10 Southampton academy graduates of all time 

6. Adam Lallana

Lallana captained the Saints in 2012.

Signed as a 12-year old from AFC Bournemouth after paying a compensation of around £20,000, Lallana rose through the youth system before making his debut for the Saints in 2006.

The midfielder became a regular two seasons later but saw his side suffer relegation to League One after a dismal show during the 2008-09 season. An instrumental figure since, Lallana guided the Saints to back-to-back promotions as they ended their seven-hiatus from the Premier League.

After making 265 appearances and scoring 60 times, Lallana moved to Liverpool in 2014. The midfielder looks likely to leave the Merseyside this year with his contract expiring at the end of the season.

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5. Mick Channon

Mick Channon

A rare example of a Southampton Academy graduate who spent more than 10 years with the club. Mick Channon joined the Saints as a 16-year old and made his debut a year later in 1966.

A natural goalscorer, Channon was given the task of leading the Saints attacking lineup after Martin Chivers left for Tottenham Hotspur. The striker seamlessly filled the void left by Chivers as he kept the Saints afloat in the First Division till 1974.

Three years in the second division was followed by a move to Manchester City before rejoining the Saints in 1979 after they gained promotion to the First Division. The second spell at the Dell ended pretty quickly as he joined Newcastle United in 1982.

Channon called it a day in 1987, five years after moving from Southampton. The former England international remains as the leading goalscorer for the club with 228 goals followed by Matt Le Tissier. With 607 appearances for the Saints, Channon is the second-highest in Southampton's all-time list. He is 19th in the list of all-time goal scorers for England with 21 goals in 46 appearances for the Three Lions.

After hanging his boots, Channon became a successful racehorse trainer.