Dusan Tadic has hailed Saints’ revamped training ground as the perfect place for the players to work in.
The club this week unveiled their new and improved Staplewood base – the cost of which will eventually rise to £39m.
“This is perfect for us, and it’s perfect for Southampton,” said Saints playmaker Tadic, reflecting on the facilities it has to offer.
“I think everyone is really impressed. It’s a beautiful training ground, we have everything, and it’s a pleasure to work there.
“Every day you feel really comfortable, and you have everything.”
Staplewood now features a series of high-quality training pitches, including an exact replica of the St Mary’s playing surface and a synthetic one for all-weather use.
There is also a state-of-the-art sport science department, to help prevent injuries to the players, as well as a brand new gym, swimming pool and hydrotherapy pools.
On top of that, a near-replica of the St Mary’s first-team changing room has been constructed, while there are also lavish dining areas for the senior squad and academy players.
For Serbian international Tadic, it certainly beats anything he has seen before, and he said a huge amount of thanks is owed to the club’s late owner, Markus Liebherr, and his daughter, Katharina, who has now taken control, for providing them with such a facility.
“In Twente also we have a nice one, and in Groningen also it was okay, and Serbia also we have a training centre that is really nice, but I think this is the best one,” he said.
“It is new, everything is beautiful and we are really happy that we have everything to work.
“We are really happy that we have that and we need to thank the owner for making that.”
It is at Staplewood where Saints have been preparing for today’s visit of Leicester City, with Ronald Koeman’s side firm favourites to beat their struggling opponents and retain their lofty position of second in the Premier League.
Tadic, however, is warning that it might not be such a simple task against a side that has beaten Manchester United this season and taken points off Arsenal and Everton.
“It’s hard,” he said. “I think these are the most difficult matches, when you really expect that somebody is going to win, but we know if we don’t give 100 per cent then we cannot win the game, because every team in the Premier League is a good team and they have a lot of qualities.
“We just now think about Leicester and we are going to give 100 per cent, then I hope that is going to be enough to win that match.”
Tadic added: “We feel really fresh and we really want to show that we are a better team than Leicester.”
Tadic yesterday missed out on winning the Premier League’s player of the month award for October, with West Ham’s Diafra Sakho instead emerging from the six-man shortlist to take the honour.
But the 25-year-old, who will be on international duty next week, was pleased to see his impressive form recognised with a nomination.
“It’s nice, but this is I think an honour of the whole team,” he said.
“We are doing well and this is really nice, but I hope that we are going to be better and better, and we work every day hard for that.”
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