Jay Rodriguez has signed a new four year contract extension which keeping him at St Mary’s until 2019.
The English striker is on the way back from his lengthy injury which originally kept him out of contention for a place in the England World Cup squad.
It’s been over a year since he ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament and speculation began to mount over a new deal for the 25 year old.
He had only a season left on his deal before the extension which attracted interest from teams all over the Premier League including Tottenham, Liverpool and Manchester City.
Earlier this week Ronald Koeman reiterated that Rodriguez is “a good player for the club who will be important for next season.”
The manager has obviously seen glimpses of what he can do as he begins to train with the first team once again, but the striker obviously hasn’t made a first team appearance under Koeman.
He scored 15 goals last season for the Saints, making him the clubs top goal scorer despite his injury towards the end of the season. Rodriguez hopes that this is another step forward as he looks to rekindle his previous form.
“I’m delighted, it’s a great club and we’ve done amazingly this year.
“It’s been a tough year for myself, being out, but I’m really delighted to sign the contract. It’s now about looking forward to the future.
“The medical staff have all worked tirelessly with me, so this is great news. I just want to carry on improving now and to try to get some game time.”
Manager Ronald Koeman said: “This is very good news for the club because there was some speculation about Jay and interest from other big clubs, so it is a compliment to the club that we have an agreement.
“It has been a difficult time for Jay who has been doing everything to come back in a good shape.
Koeman believes this the right way to kick off an important summer for the Saints who face a tough time to try and keep some of their best assets.
“It’s a good start to the summer business for us because it shows that everyone here is convinced by what we want to achieve.”
It is one deal done for Koeman, now fans will turn their attention to the futures of Nathaniel Clyne and Morgan Schneiderlin.
