Alex McCarthy spent the best part of a decade at St Mary’s without ever truly establishing himself as the long-term goalkeeper, despite winning a cap for England. The most League appearances he made in one season came in 2020-21 when he appeared 30 times between the posts but after that, with a succession of new managers arriving at Staplewood, his career waned although when Gavin Bazunu was injured in the run in to Saints regaining their Premier League place he stepped out of the shadows and did all he was asked which included a faultless display at Wembley.

That summer he was rewarded with a new contract but in hindsight it might have been more productive for him if he had sought fresh pastures, as from there on in, the managerial comings and goings only added to the lack of continuity. If he had a fault it was his kicking and with the modern penchance for using the goalkeeper as an extra defender he was on occasions found wanting. In the summer of 2026 he teamed up again with Russell Martin who had just taken over at Leicester who had just fallen into the third tier.