Southampton once struck gold with the ‘new Michael Owen’ and Matt Le Tissier loved him | OneFootball

Southampton hit the transfer jackpot when they signed Marians Pahars in 1999

Southampton were a staple in the Premier League at the turn of the millennium.

The Saints were competing in the First Division when the breakaway to form the new top flight took place in 1992 after gaining promotion in 1978.

The club finished as high as second place in 1984, but by 1999 they were just about staving off relegation to the second tier.

The signing of Marians Pahars brought a lot of intrigue, with not a lot known about the young forward who had arrived initially on trial, before sealing a permanent move to the Dell.

The Latvian Michael Owen

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The Latvian scored a perfect hat-trick in a 7-1 win against Oxford United during his trial, which was more than enough to convince the Saints that he was the man for them.

He joined the club in February 1999, and made six appearances in the Premier League that season, scoring three times, with the team finishing 17th in the table.

The striker went on to become a more prominent member of the squad in the next few seasons, having earned a comparison to Michael Owen when he first burst into the team.

Former teammate Garry Monk revealed that his speed and finishing ability reminded many people of the England international, and the name stuck as he became a cult figure for the Hampshire outfit.

Marians Pahars’ impact at Southampton

After a solid first few months at Southampton, Pahars came into his own as the club’s leading forward from 1999/2000 to 2001/02.

During these three campaigns, the striker featured 100 times in the Premier League, and contributed 36 goals and 13 assists.

The Saints finished 15th, 10th and 11th, climbing the table and escaping the threat of relegation to the second tier.

Pahars was notable for going on goal scoring streaks, with his best run coming in 1999/2000 when he found the back of the net seven times in nine games, while also providing two assists.

Matt Le Tissier’s praise for Marians Pahars

Southampton legend Matt Le Tissier once singled out Pahars for praise in 2025, claiming that he was one of the best players that he ever played alongside during his time with the Saints.

He revealed that the Latvian would regularly impress him during training, suggesting that not many players were capable of doing things with the ball that Pahars could.

“I loved playing alongside this guy,” said Le Tissier, via Southampton’s YouTube channel.

“He was one of the most talented players that I played alongside with the Saints.

“People ask me, they say ‘who are the best players you played with at Saints?’ Marians will always be in that conversation.

“Always.

“He did things in training that even I would go ‘Wow, how’s he done that?’ and there weren’t many players that did that to me.”

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There will never be another Marians Pahars

Pahars’ career with Southampton fizzled out in his final few years with the club, with injuries ultimately plaguing the now 50-year-old.

Much like Owen, he was reduced to limited minutes due to recurring fitness issues, and he played just 31 more times for the Hampshire outfit between 2002 and 2006, including zero appearances in 2004/05.

Southampton were relegated in 2005, finishing bottom of the table, and it’s hard to imagine any club unearthing a gem like Pahars again.

He was almost a complete unknown when he joined in 1999, and there is simply so much information on players across the world now.

It would be nearly impossible to repeat the success of Pahars’ move to Southampton, which only further highlights how well the Championship side did to strike gold all those years ago.