Saints keeper Fraser Forster says there is a togetherness in the squad that he has never experienced before in his career.

Ronald Koeman’s men continued their sensational start to the season with a 2-0 win at home to Leicester that kept them second in the table going into the international break, and opened up a four-point gap to third-placed Manchester City.

While many people have been surprised by Saints this season, Forster he is not one of them.

“Not really, because there is something very special about the club,” said the £10m summer signing from Celtic.

“There is a togetherness here I’ve never experienced before, especially when you consider the turnover of players in the summer.

“That’s a credit to the lads who have settled in so fast, and a credit to the players already here for making us feel so welcome.

“The manager and coaching staff make us believe in ourselves and give us the courage to go out and play.”

Forster is an imposing part of what is currently the meanest defence in England, with the clean sheet against Leicester representing the team’s seventh in 11 Premier League games this season.

“It’s been a fantastic start and we’ve really kind of limited the opposition’s opportunities,” said Forster. “We’re defending well as a team and hopefully we can keep doing that.

“It’s what we work hard on the training pitch on and it’s important to carry that through.”

The 26-year-old added: “There is no secret – we defend as a team, we have a settled back four and we make ourselves difficult to play against.

“We’ve made a fantastic start, and we’re proud to have the best defensive record in the country, but that’s why we work hard on the training field all week and we don’t want it to end.”

Forster now heads off on international duty with England, who face a Euro 2016 qualifier at home to Slovenia on Saturday, before travelling to the keeper’s old stamping ground, Celtic Park, for a ‘friendly’ against Scotland on the Tuesday.

“Although it’s a friendly, there’s no such thing between Scotland and England,” said Forster, who would love to feature at a stadium he knows so well.

“If it happens, it would be brilliant, but it’s not in my control, and I can only worry about what I can control really.”