Now that Russell Martin has parted ways with Southampton, here are the Saints he used the most in his tenure at St Marys Stadium...
Russell Martin has officially left Southampton. While his tenure might have ended bitterly, Southampton fans should only look back at the good times.
For example, there was the historic day at Wembley Stadium, which every Southampton fan would give anything to relive. That's the Martin we should remember, rather than the Martin in the Premier League.
One area which shouldn't be overlooked is how his (admittedly necessary) sacking will be perceived by the Southampton players. While it is of benefit to the general health of the club, there were many Southampton players who formed a great relationship with Russell Martin...
5 Southampton players with most appearances under Russell Martin
1. Adam Armstrong (67 appearances)
According to Transfermarkt, Adam Armstrong is the player who Russell Martin used the most during his Southampton tenure, with 67 appearances across all competitions.
Adam Armstrong was a mainstay for Southampton during their 2023/24 campaign in the Championship. In fact, he was the Saints top-scorer (21) and only bettered by Sammie Szmodics, the league's top scorer last season (27).
2. Taylor Harwood-Bellis (63 appearances)
In second, Taylor Harwood-Bellis made 63 appearances under Russell Martin.
The English centre-back who broke into not only the Southampton team, but also the England team, has a lot to thank Russell Martin for. He was one of those players who benefitted from Martin's incredible man-management and he improved tenfold under his tutelage.
3. Kyle Walker-Peters (61 appearances)
Next up, it's the defender Kyle Walker-Peters. During Russell Martin's time at Southampton, the former Tottenham Hotspur full-back was used 61 times and he was here before and after the Martin era.
This is hardly surprising. The full-back is one of, if not the best player at Southampton. He helped the Saints to get back into the Premier League and he was one of the only players who showed Premier League quality during Martin's 16 league games in charge.
4. Jan Bednarek (60 appearances)
Jan Bednarek has seen many Southampton managers come and many go. Nevertheless, he will still feel affected by the departure of Russell Martin, since the long-serving Southampton defender did feel a personal connection to Martin as a manager.
In total, Jan Bednarek made a very respectable 60 appearances under Russell Martin, maturing into the prime stages of his career under the former manager.
5. Joe Aribo (57 appearances)
Making a surprise inclusion in this list is Joe Aribo. However, in hindsight, the only reason why his involvement in this list is surprising is due to Martin's reluctance to use him as much in the Premier League starting lineups.
Nevertheless, Joe Aribo remained a key player under Russell Martin, clearly making a positive impact to his system, with 57 appearances across all competitions in the Russell Martin era.