5 players who have played for both Southampton and Stoke City | OneFootball

Southampton and Stoke City share a familiar cast, and their next meeting carries a live subplot. According to Sainstmarching.com, these are five players to have represented both clubs.

Sam Gallagher is three days out from facing the club that developed him, with talk of reinforcements. Robins named him one of two forwards needing competition, and George Hirst spent Wednesday having a medical at Stoke. Southampton took him from Plymouth Argyle at 16, he had a Premier League season before the loans began, and on Saturday he could either make a point or see a new signing take his place.

Rory Delap first played central midfield for Southampton, then at Stoke his long throws became a weapon, for the best part of a decade half the division treated them like corners. Many associate Peter Crouch with Stoke after eight years, yet he struck 12 in 27 Premier League games for Saints before Liverpool called.

James Beattie leaving in January 2005 still stings, the club’s best Premier League-era centre-forward was sold mid-season during a survival fight. Ricardo Fuller crossed from Portsmouth in 2005 at Harry Redknapp’s behest, Redknapp then returned to Pompey, the goals never arrived, and Stoke later paid half a million for six years and a promotion.

Four of these are distant memories. The fifth might be running at Jack Stephens on Saturday afternoon. The fixture list handed Southampton a tricky start, and this is when things begin to get interesting.

Source: Sainstmarching.com

“Artificial intelligence was used to assist in creating this article based on reporting from the original source quoted.”