Former Southampton defender Romain Perraud has admitted he knew he’d made it to the Premier League when he took “a crazy tackle” from Seamus Coleman.
[La Voix du Nord](https://www.lavoixdunord.fr/) have an interview with the defender today, in which he discusses his time in the Premier League with Southampton.
The 28-year-old joined Southampton from 2021 to 2023. He made 49 appearances for them in total before departing permanently for Real Betis in July 2024. Perraud had left the year before though, joining OGC Nice on loan for that season.
He only made 49 appearances for them in the Premier League, but remembers the first easily, thanks to a “crazy tackle” from Everton’s Seamus Coleman.
“I remember it perfectly because it was the return of fans to the stadiums, just after Covid,” he said.
“After ten minutes, I took a crazy tackle from Séamus Coleman. I thought to myself, ‘I’ve made it to the Premier League.’
“I played two incredible years against the best players in the world, the best teams in the world.” It’s a huge source of pride to have been able to compete there.”
The move to the Premier League was a big step up for Perraud, who had previously spent his whole career in his native France. He came through the youth ranks at Nice before a loan spell at Paris FC. He then joined Stade Brestois in 2019.
It was there that he was spotted by Southampton. And the defender was left impressed by the research they had done on him.
“At the beginning of spring, I had a video call with coach Ralph Hasenhüttl,” he said.
“The head of recruitment was also there, and he told me he’d seen me play 52 times. The Premier League was a childhood dream come true.”