James Beattie turned out for Southampton for seven years after joining the Saints from Blackburn Rovers in the summer of 1998.

The five-time England international made 235 appearances during his time at St Mary’s – scoring 76 times in the process, including 68 Premier League goals.

The 40-year-old later represented the likes of Everton, Stoke City and Sheffield United before retiring from professional football at the end of the 2012-13 campaign.

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Beattie has since stepped into the coaching side of the game, and he managed Accrington Stanley for 16 months from May 2013 before leaving by mutual consent.

The former centre-forward has since spent time with Swansea City and Leeds United as a first-team coach, but is now with Championship club Middlesbrough, where he works under Tony Pulis.

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A lot has happened at Southampton since Beattie left the club in 2005, but it appears that the supporters have not forgotten what the Englishman brought to St Mary’s.

A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below: