‘Wanted to stay’: £18m ace explains why he didn’t join Leicester or West Ham

Follow us on Google Discover

Jannik Vestergaard admits a conversation with Ralph Hasenhuttl convinced him to stay at Southampton despite interest from Leicester City and West Ham United, speaking to Goal.

Statistics speak for themselves at times and, if you were looking for proof of the impact the Danish defender has made in Saints’ starting XI, look no further than this.

Southampton’s defence looked about as resilient as wet tissue paper as Heung Min-Son and Harry Kane ripped them to shreds during a 5-1 home defeat last month, which had echoes of a certain ‘9-0’ about it.

Vestergaard was left on the bench when Spurs came to town.

But it’s no coincidence that as soon as Hasenhuttl threw him back into the XI, Southampton have picked up six points from a possible six – with a pair of clean sheets to show for their efforts.

Suddenly, the £18 million powerhouse is one of the first names on Hasenhuttl’s team sheet. Quite a turnaround when you consider he couldn’t buy a start at times last season.

“I won’t lie and say a move hasn’t been in my thoughts,” Vestergaard explains.

“I came close (to leaving) in January, but the club and the manager told me they wanted me to stay. And then I stayed.

“This summer there has been some contact from interesting clubs, for example in Spain, but only my agent knows the details, not me.

“I have been dedicated to the idea of continuing at Southampton, and I certainly feel my manager believes in me and my qualities.

“I wanted to stay, just like other players chose to stay this summer, because we want to be a part of the great project going on here.”

Leicester almost snatched Vestergaard in January and put him on their shortlist again this summer before making Wesley Fofana their top target (Ekstra Bladet). West Ham also considered an audacious loan bid in September (Mail, 24 September, page 71).