SHARE

Southampton midfielder Oriel Romeu has declared his love for the club, insisting that they have allowed him to fulfil his dream.

Romeu is entering his eighth season with the Saints, having initially joined them from Chelsea in 2015.

He first moved to England with Chelsea from Barcelona B in 2013 but would make just 33 appearances for the Blues, instead spending two years on loan at Valencia and Stuttgart.

He moved to Southampton in a £6.3m deal in August 2015 and has been a mainstay in the team since, going on to make 255 appearances in all competitions for the club.

He’s now very much a firm fan favourite and could end up among the record appearances for the club, particularly when it comes to Premier League appearances.

It’s been a relationship that’s been more than beneficial for both parties so far and Southampton’s Romeu is certainly grateful for it.

“With Barça and in the youth teams with Spain I had good moments,” he told Marca in a conversation about his career so far.

“But Southampton is the team that allowed me to fulfil my dream of settling in a league as demanding as the Premiership and prove that I could perform at a very high level for so long.

“It’s where all the pieces came together and I will always be grateful to them.

“This is my eighth year here and, although there have been ups and downs, with seasons where we have suffered more, the communion with fans and teammates has been unbeatable.