Born in Tokyo to third-generation Zainichi Korean parents, Tadanari Lee burst onto the world’s footballing stage when he spectacularly volleyed the extra-time winner for Japan in the 2011 Asian Cup Final v Australia. Having been in training squads for South Korea, at both U-19 and U-20 levels, he had then given his allegiance to the country of his birth.

When video footage of that strike in the 2011 Final was beamed around the world, it caught the eye of Nigel Adkins, who made Tadanari Southampton’s first signing – on a free transfer – from the far east. Enthusing about his capture,

Adkins rated his “good attitude and … quality in the final third.”

Tadanari – or “Chung”, as he had become known at St Mary’s: an abbreviation of his Korean name of Lee Chung-Sung – made a diffident start, although his speed was instantly apparent. But then, coming on for his third substitute appearance in mid-February, he smashed a stunning, angled shot past Derby’s ’keeper.

It gave him an even “better feeling,” he claimed, than his world-famous goal for Japan and was voted the Saints’ Goal-of-the-Season. More immediately, it earned him a starting place in the next four games. For his first home-start – v Ipswich – there was a Japanese contingent to greet him (see scrapbook section).

But then he broke a bone in his foot and his season was over.  Having joined in the promotion celebrations on the final day, wearing a protective boot, he returned to action, come August, in the Capital One Cup-tie at Stevenage. He scored and looked forward, in the next match day programme, to his Premier League debut. That was soon put on hold, however. He recovered from an arm-injury, but the arrival of Gaston Ramirez and Emmanuel Mayuka, to join summer signing, Jay Rodriguez, so dented his Premiership prospects that Tadanari went out on loan, in mid-season, to one of his previous Japanese clubs. Returning to St Mary’s in the summer of 2013, he was given a squad number but, even with Mayuka leaving on loan, he remained in a queue for a Premiership opportunity and finally was released at the start of 2014.