Often players who never really make it for a club are remembered for one particular thing, be it a special goal or an out of the ordinary incident, but in Sékou Mara’s case two instances come to mind. On his debut against Leeds, after coming on as a substitute, he threaded through a sublime weighted pass which put Kyle Walker-Peters in behind the defence to equalise from an oblique angle. The fans were mightily impressed as they were a few months later, when in a 5th Round League Cup-tie against Manchester City he crisply hit a first-time volley to set Saints on their way to a memorable victory.

He had arrived from Bordeaux who had just been relegated from the French top-flight and were facing financial pressures which meant the fee Southampton paid kept them afloat. Despite that auspicious start his first season was a traumatic one for the club with three managers unable to prevent relegation. The Premier League had been a tough baptism for Mara and it was hoped in the Championship he might come into his own, but he only made the same number of starts (four) as the previous season and his languid style irritated the fans on occasions. In the summer of 2024 with Saints back among the elite he was deemed surplus to requirements and he moved back to France for £10m.