JAMES BEATTIE is on record as saying he is a "great believer" in honouring a contract.

The Press Association have issued a story as part of their pre-season football package with quotes from the man many believe will end up at Newcastle United.

But the words were uttered by Beattie currently with Saints on their pre-season training tour of Austria, earlier this year.

But they are still of interest to Saints fans keeping their fingers crossed that the England man will remain at St Mary's.

"I would like to think that we're a settled, well-established squad which wouldn't need too much in the way of additions to improve," said Beattie.

"But in the end, it will come down to the manager and chairman to decide.

"It's a fact of football life that clubs like us will always have players that other clubs want, and as a player you have to accept that, to an extent, you are a commodity to be bought and sold like any other.

"But let me say from the word go, that I'm more than happy here at Southampton.

"I think that we're a club on the fringe of doing big things with perhaps the addition of a couple of players.

"A club makes a commitment to you by offering a contract, and you make a commitment to it by signing it, and I'm a great believer that once you commit yourself to something, you see it through."

The acid test for Beattie could soon come to see if he honours those words.