Former heroic Saints strikers, Rickie Lambert and Billy Sharp, have been acknowledged among the top 5 best English players in Championship ranks.
Southampton fans, or for this instance, any Championship fanbase, can't help but admit that the competition's best player in recent history has been QPR legend Adel Taarabt. And the fact that his best days overlapped with the Saints' worst phase is nothing but a misfortune on their fans' part.
If you know, the Saints were struggling in the EFL around Taarabt's prime, until iconic boss Nigel Adkins helped Southampton on the way up. Now, Adkins remains a Championship hero for his Saints contribution, but it's reasonable to expect a couple of Saints players to be held in the same regard, too.
Interestingly, turns out there are a few names who proved their Championship pedigree on the Saints' journey to being a regular top-flight side. Well, seeing Southampton's current situation, they won't be content, but the Saints fans have more than enough reasons to be thankful to them.
Former Saints attacking duo shortlisted in top 5 Championship tally
As per Football League World, they're Saints' ex-forward duo Rickie Lambert and Billy Sharp, who rank as the 5th and 4th best English players in the Championship tally.
Talking of Rickie Lambert, there would hardly be a Saints fan surprised by him. Having been a prolific scorer, both at St. Mary's and for Bristol Rovers, Lambert, at his very best, was Premier League material through and through.
In fact, Lambert's profile surely acknowledges this as the forward remains the torchbearer of the Southampton-Liverpool transfer bridge that has seen modern-day heroes like Virgil van Dijk, Sadio Mane, and Danny Ings pass through.
Well, in that respect, Billy Sharp's mention as a better Englishman than Lambert may intrigue Saints, for whom he has been a forgotten hero. Nevertheless, his promotion-defining goal against Coventry in 2012 remains a memorable moment for the St. Mary's faithful, who were devoid of Sharp's true potential, which unfolded at Sheffield later.
But guess what? With his recent activities, Billy is regaining the fans' attention again, and who knows, maybe he justifies his relative standing as a more fan-favourite than Lambert, one day.