THE oldest surviving former Saints player has died.

John Flood passed away, aged 90, on the day the club was officially relegated from the Premier League after 11 seasons. 

The Southampton born and New Forest bred winger played for the team from 1952 to 1958, making 129 appearances and scoring 29 goals. 

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Known as Johnny, he was just 14 when he first became involved with Southampton Football Club, among the ground staff. 

Flood was capped at schoolboy level by England, having been an integral part of the Pennington St Mark’s youth team who scored 251 goals in a perfect 1947/48 campaign.

He turned professional in 1949, but had to wait until the 1952/53 campaign to make his first team debut with National Service and the brilliance of Eric Day halting his progress. 

A regular in the number 7 shirt for many years, he departed for Bournemouth in 1958 following the emergence of club legend Terry Paine.