Russell Martin expressed his gratitude and acknowledged he was not a “sexy appointment” after guiding Southampton to the Premier League with a precious 1-0 win over Leeds at Wembley.
Adam Armstrong struck midway through the first half to haunt Leeds again with his 24th goal of the campaign and it proved enough to send Saints back to the top flight at the first time of asking.
It continued the remarkable rise of Martin after he masterminded promotion to the Premier League in only his fifth season as a manager.
WE ARE GOING UP 👑👑👑 pic.twitter.com/KZpDFNXGsB
— Southam(P)ton FC (@SouthamptonFC) May 26, 2024
The 38-year-old paid tribute to the Southampton owners and former director of football Jason Wilcox, who brought him to the club but left to join Manchester United last month and was at Wembley a day earlier for the FA Cup final.
Martin said: “I just feel really grateful. I have felt that all week really.
“Just felt a load of gratitude for what the players have given us, the staff, the supporters and I feel immense pride in what we have achieved.
“I just feel grateful to the owners for giving me the opportunity in the first place, for Jason, who had a good day himself here yesterday.
“I feel like it wasn’t a sexy appointment for Southampton Football Club, me coming in, but they were brave enough to give me the opportunity and hopefully we have repaid them with a day they will remember forever.
“It has given me one of the best days of my career for sure, so yeah I just feel nothing but gratitude and a lot of love for the people I’ve worked with all year.”
Saints endured a rollercoaster ride before they made it to Wembley, losing four in a row in September before Martin oversaw a club record 25-match unbeaten run.
A poor end to the campaign, which included a 5-0 loss at Leicester, threatened to derail their promotion bid, but they regrouped to beat West Brom in the play-off semi-finals.
It set up another clash with Leeds and Martin tasted success for a third time against old boss Daniel Farke, with Armstrong’s first-half strike the difference.
Leeds started well, but Southampton made their numerical advantage in midfield count when Flynn Downes found Will Smallbone, who brilliantly passed through to Armstrong and he drilled into the corner.
Farke sent on Dan James in search of a leveller and the Wales international struck the crossbar with six minutes left before another low effort was parried away by Alex McCarthy to earn Southampton victory.
“We missed a few passes we would never normally miss, so I just wanted to tell them to stick to the game plan a little bit,” Martin revealed.
“We scored a really, really nice goal and it is something the guys work on a lot in terms of the way it built up.
“I didn’t want us to defend as long as we did in the last 25 minutes, but with the tension in the game, I understand that because it’s a big occasion.
“I felt when we had to defend, we defended so well and Alex when we needed him was brilliant.”
Defeat for Leeds consigned them to more play-off heartache with this a sixth consecutive time they have failed to go up via that route in the club’s history and ensured they missed out on a revenue boost of £140million, according to Deloitte.
Farke said: “Yes, as you can imagine it couldn’t be worse. Obviously we’re suffering a lot in this moment.
“I can’t really say we are the worst side in this final and to lose this final hurts a lot.
“We are very disappointed, but I also don’t want to miss to say first of all congratulations to Southampton. They defended really, really well and were pretty effective.”
[(Shimizu S-Pulse) Weakness]: 1. Shimizu S-Pulse are 13th in the J1 League table. Facing 2nd-placed Kashima Antlers, they will find it hard to win this match due to their declining form, indicating doubtful motivation.2. Shimizu S-Pulse defender Yuji Takahashi and forward Sena Saito will miss this league game due to injuries.3. Shimizu S-Pulse were winless with 2 draws and 3 losses in the last 5 g...
Liverpool table fresh Guehi bidAccording to The Athletic, Liverpool have submitted a fresh bid worth £35 million ($47m) to sign Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace. The Reds had earlier seen two bids rejected by the Eagles, but they remain hopeful that this time the offer will be accepted.Fenerbahce eyeing move for EdersonTurkish Super Lig giants Fenerbahce are eyeing a move for out-of-favour Manc...
Roma medical for Liverpool fullback TsimikasAS Roma are holding a medical for Kostas Tsimikas today.The Liverpool fullback is leaving Anfield after finding himself third-choice this season behind fellow left-backs Andrew Robertson and Milos Kerkez.La Gazzetta dello Sport says the Greece international is expected in Italy today to finalise his move.Tsimikas will undergo a medical ahead of signing a...
FBL-ENG-PR-CHELSEA-FULHAMMarco Silva has demanded an explanation from the Premier League after lambasting three "shocking" refereeing decisions in Fulham's 2-0 Premier League loss at Chelsea.WHAT HAPPENED?The Whites thought they had taken the lead against their west London rivals Chelsea when 18-year-old Josh King coolly slotted past Robert Sanchez. However, the goal was chalked off by referee Rob...
[(Shonan Bellmare) Strength]: 1. Shonan Bellmare are one of the bottom teams in the table, taking 25 points and being in the relegation zone. They are strongly motivated to grab points.[(Shonan Bellmare) Neutral]: 1. Shonan Bellmare drew the last 4 home games, revealing mediocre home performances.[(Shonan Bellmare) Weakness]: 1. Shonan Bellmare lost 1-0 to Fagiano Okayama on the road in the last g...
Manchester United Training Session And Press Conference - UEFA Europa League Final 2025Chelsea have completed the signing of Alejandro Garnacho from Manchester United.WHAT HAPPENED?Garnacho has signed a seven-year contract with the Blues after the two Premier League clubs agreed a deal worth a fixed £40 million fee ($54m) with a 10 per cent sell-on clause, Goal understands. The 21-year-old ha...
Marc Guehi Crystal Palace 2025-26Liverpool have launched a fresh bid for Marc Guehi as they hope that Crystal Palace will finally accept their proposal and agree to sell their star defender before the summer transfer window closes on Monday. The Reds have been linked with a move for the England international throughout the summer and the champions are determined to secure his signature.WHAT HAPPEN...
West Ham United v Lille OSC - Pre-Season FriendlyAston Villa are close to signing West Ham United midfielder Lucas Paqueta on an initial loan with an obligation to buy next summer.WHAT HAPPENED?Villa are on the brink of agreeing a £47 million (€54m/$63m) package for Paqueta which includes a loan fee and add-ons, according to Fabrizio Romano. The report also states the 28-year-old has ac...
[(Nagoya Grampus) Strength]: 1. Nagoya Grampus currently have only 28 points and are near the bottom of the league table. To avoid relegation, they need to earn points.[(Nagoya Grampus) Neutral]: 1. Nagoya Grampus' 7 successive games ended with OVER.[(Nagoya Grampus) Weakness]: 1. Nagoya Grampus lost 2-4 to Sanfrecce Hiroshima in their last Emperor's Cup game, with poor performance.2. In the lates...
Cody Gakpo Liverpool 2025Premier League champions Liverpool have confirmed that star attacker Cody Gakpo has put pen to paper on a new long-term contract, which has extended his stay at Anfield beyond 2028. The Dutchman who joined the club in January 2023, during the Jurgen Klopp era, has established himself as a regular starter under new boss Arne Slot and has now committed his future to the Reds...
