Southampton FC struck gold with double deal as Liverpool felt after-effects - 'you can always spot pure class' | OneFootball

FLW's Saints fan pundit discusses the impact that the duo had in the squad before their switch to Liverpool

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

A whole host of talented footballers have spent time at Southampton before moving on to play for the biggest clubs in the world.

Two of whom, Sadio Mané and Virgil van Dijk, were a big part of Liverpool's recent golden years under Jürgen Klopp, winning the Champions League in 2019 and the Premier League in 2020.

The duo played just one season together at St Mary's, and were a big part of the Saints side who finished 6th in the 2015/16 campaign. At Liverpool, they both went from strength to strength, and each finished inside the top three of the Balon d'Or whilst playing under Klopp at Anfield.

Many fans outside of Southampton were quite surprised at their moves, especially van Dijk's £75 million switch, which was a world record fee for a defender at the time, as they felt that, whilst solid players, they would never be world beaters.

However, Saints fans, including FLW's Southampton fan pundit, Martin Sanders, saw that quality immediately.

Southampton fan pundit not surprised at Sadio Mane's post-Saints progression

Sanders spoke initially about Mane, who spent two years at Southampton before his £34 million switch to Anfield.

"Mane took a little while to get going when he arrived. People were wondering who he was, but he was brilliant," he said.

"He played in one of the best Saints sides I've seen in recent times. He was breathtaking to watch, and I enjoyed every moment watching him play."

The Senegalese international's 2-minute, 56-second hat trick against Aston Villa in May 2015 remains the fastest in Premier League history, and an 11-goal campaign the following year saw him pique the interest of the Reds.

"I wasn't surprised to see the career he had and what he did at Liverpool, because he had that raw pace, directness, and he was an intelligent player," he continued.

"I haven't seen much of him since he left England, but whilst he was at Liverpool, he was a brilliant player."

Southampton fan pundit lauds praise on Virgil van Dijk's Liverpool career

Mane has since played for Bayern Munich and now Al-Nassr, but van Dijk has stayed at the heart of Liverpool's back line and won his second Premier League winners' medal in the 2024/25 campaign.

He's played over 300 times for the Reds since he departed Southampton in 2018, and Sanders believes that the 34-year-old can continue to do big things in Merseyside.

"Virgil always looked like a class act," the fan pundit said. "Did I think he'd go on to be as good as he was? Probably, yes.

"You can always spot pure class, and he was a brilliant defender.

"Not many people liked how he left Saints, but he's gone on to win multiple trophies with Liverpool, and whenever I watch him, he's a monster of a defender.

On reflection, Sanders is proud to say that these world-class players once wore the Southampton shirt, and he puts both van Dijk and Mane on the same pedestal as Gareth Bale, who went on to win five Champions Leagues with Real Madrid after coming out of the Southampton academy.

"van Dijk's one of the best defenders in the world, and to say he's played for my club... alongside the likes of Gareth Bale, we've had some great talents play for Saints over the years," Sanders concluded.

"He's a top player, and he'll probably win more silverware over the years. There's certainly more that he can do."

At 34, many footballers look to call it a day, but van Dijk's power and defensive intelligence mean that he is probably still looking at a good four or five years at the top of the game before he starts to wind down.

He's still regarded as one of, if not the best, centre-backs in the world today, and some Southampton fans are still counting themselves lucky that he got to play at St Mary's before he hit superstardom.