It looks like Alex McCarthy who left St Mary's a few weeks ago at the end of his contract is set to link up again with his former manager Russell Martin at Leicester City, on the face of it a little strange.

I say a little strange because whilst McCarthy played under Russell Martin, he was never actually first choice keeper and only selected to play by him when injury struck.

In 2023/24 Gavin Bazunu was firmly Martin's first choice during his one full season in charge and indeed for most of that season McCarthy was not even second choice keeper, that honour falling to Joe Lumley with McCarthy relegated to 3rd choice.

Then came the strange chain of events that started when due to a warehouse next to St Mary's burning down, the game against Preston North End was called off at late notice.

When the game was rescheduled in mid April, first choice Gavin Bazunu tore a muscle in the warm up, most would have expected Joe Lumley as the number two keeper stripped and changed to have slotted in.

But bizarrely Martin chose to jump Alex McCarthy into the side ahead of him and Saints won the game and McCarthy was back in favour,

But after that it didn't go quite to plan, in the next game Saints were beaten 2-1 at Cardiff when they should really have been out of side, that was followed by a 5-0 defeat at promotion rivals Leicester and a third defeat in a row with a 1-0 reverse at home to Stoke.

That was 8 goals conceded in those 3 games and Saints hopes of automatic promotion were gone.

But the keeper then played a part in the final league game against Leeds , two play off games against West Brom followed by the play off final again Leeds being the opponents keeping a clean sheet in a 1-0 win at Wembley.

McCarthy would start in the first two opening games in the Premier League, but only because we had no one else as we negotiated to sign Arron Ramsdale.

These would not be his last games that season, but the 3 other games dotted into the season in which we conceded 11 goals are best forgotten.

So it is a little surprising that Russell Martin should sign a keeper who he didn't appear to rate too highly when he managed him at St Mary's

At 36 he should still be able to cut it in League One though, even though Russell Martin is getting a keeper with not as much experience as you would expect.

In 18 years since making his debut he has only played 287 League games, indeed in his final 5 seasons at St Mary's he only played 40 league games and 141 in total in his 10 seasons at St Mary's, he was never ever first choice keeper for a season.

But despite that he remained popular amongst Saints supporters and most will wish him all the best at Leicester as he looks to make it two promotions in 4 seasons with Russell Martin as his manager.

All Photos Via Reuters