It was a cold day in January and Southampton were coming out of the dark ages. Markus Liebherr had saved the club, on the brink of liquidation. He then set a five year plan on how Southampton, a big fish in a small pond of League 1, could reach the big time. And there stood a long-haired Portuguese man who the club had signed from Crystal Palace for a fee to be believed in the region of £1.2 million.
He made his debut in a 1 – 1 draw against a tigerish and aggressive Millwall team. Although Saints fans could see his class and composure on the ball, they were not sure he could be on the journey to where Southampton aspired to be. In his first season, him and Raidi Jaidi were forming a very compact, strong defence which laid the foundation for the team to win the Johnson’s Paint Trophy and win promotion at the second attempt in trying. Jaidi was often seen as the dominant and strong one, whilst Fonte was seen as the weaker but more technically gifted.
As Southampton improved and climbed the ruthless and unforgiving football leagues, Jose Fonte was still there, featuring prominently. His goal on the last day of a nerve jangling, pulsating Championship football season which helped Southampton to gain promotion in a 4-0 win against Coventry City, was the catalyst in his progression.
Although briefly losing his place to the incoming Maya Yoshida and Jos Hooiveld, the Portuguese was rapidly realizing the ruthless, intense nature of the Premier League. In his second season in the big time, he formed a formidable partnership with Dejan Lovren and the season after, Toby Alderweireld. That season Southampton kept 12 clean sheets after being given the captains armband; in a time of transition, Jose remained a key figure and had a look of a man who reassured the fans with his loyalty and his leadership which helped the summer signings of 2014 to settle in so quickly.
So the question, does Jose Miguel da Rocha Fonte go down in Southampton history books? After all the ups and downs and uncertainties Southampton have had in the last 5 years, one thing has remained constant; the leader that is Jose Fonte.
Will he be considered an all time great? That remains to be seen. Through his determination to make himself better and progress to the point where he is an international for his country, far from the cold Tuesday nights in League 1, Jose Fonte will continue to lead Southampton in the quest for further improvement.
