The Best and Worst Southampton Number 7’s since Le Tissier retired in 2002

WORST – Rudi Skacel

Rudi Skacel took over the number seven jersey from Hajto in 2006, and had hardly the most difficult of acts to follow.

However, the Saints had spent £1.6 million on the Czech and, at the time, that was a lot of money for a Championship side to fork out.

He played a full first season at St Mary’s, netting just four times in 41 appearances, but then the midfielder asked to be loaned to Hertha Berlin in January 2008 in a bid to make the Czech Republic squad for Euro 2008.

He came back to Southampton and, although he made 29 appearances in the 2008/09 season, he was released at the end of the campaign as the Saints were relegated to League One.

It just didn’t quite work for Skacel on the South Coast.