Every Saints players' appearance in history of Euros

The defender was Saints’ last remaining representative and started all-but one game of Denmark’s emotional run. The only game in which he did not start was the opening fixture – the 1-0 loss to Finland, overshadowed by Christian Eriksen’s collapse.

With his national team inspiring a run into the final four, Vestergaard ranks highly when compared to Saints performers at the same competition throughout history.

We take a look at all Saints players to take on a European Championship…

EURO 1960, 1964, 1968, 1972, 1976 – Nobody

Reduced tournament size, England only appearing in 1968 and very little overseas representation in national squads of the time meant not one Saints player graced a European Championship squad.

EURO 1980 – David Watson

After 20 years and five tournaments had passed without a Saints representative, defender Dave Watson took to the England squad. He and the Three Lions were unable to progress out of the group stage, though, finishing third behind Belgium and Italy, despite defeating Spain 2-1 in the final game. Watson went on to make 83 appearances for Southampton between 1979-82.

EURO 1988 + EURO 1984 – Nobody

Another decade-long absence for Saints players, despite coming second in the First Division during the 1983-84 season - England didn’t appear in the 1984 tournament.

EURO 1992 – Alan Shearer

A 21-year-old Alan Shearer became the second Saints player to appear in the tournament but suffered the same fate as Watson, with eventual elimination after just three group stage games. Shearer started just once, in a 0-0 stalemate with France, while David Platt was the only England player to net at the competition. Just weeks after the tournament, Shearer departed Southampton to join Blackburn Rovers.

EURO 2000 + EURO 1996 – Nobody

EURO 2004 – Marians Pahars and Anders Svensson

Twelve years on from Shearer’s appearance, Saints finally had some international flavour. Striker Marians Pahars was Latvia’s Footballer of the Year in three consecutive years between 1999-2001, but persistent injury meant he’d only muster appearances from the bench in each match of the 2004 tournament – which ended for Latvia in the group stage.

All three of those coveted individual awards came during his time with Saints though, after joining in 1999 from Latvia’s Skonto and bagging 39 Premier League goals in his first 106 appearances.

Sweden’s Anders Svensson became the first Saints player to reach the knockout stage when the country, with the line led by Zlatan Ibrahimovic, topped their group. They were beaten by the Netherlands on penalties in the resulting quarter-final, but Svensson started in each match but the final group fixture. Svensson also played a key role as Saints reached the FA Cup final in 2003, scoring against Tottenham in the opening match of that run.

EURO 2008 – Rudolf Skácel and Marek Saganowski

Versatile Czech midfielder Rudolf Skácel made 88 appearances in all competitions for Saints, during a 2006-2009 spell in the Championship. His time ended after asking to leave the club in January and eventually being released at the end of the season, following relegation to League One. Skácel didn’t appear for his national team as they fell at the first hurdle in EURO 2008, and only earning infrequent caps throughout his career.

On the contrary, Polish striker Marek Saganowski appeared in all three games but failed to find the net as the Poles finished bottom of their group, scoring just once. Saganowski – who made his international debut in 1996 – joined Saints after a prolific loan spell that harboured 10 goals in 13 Championship games in 2007, lifting the club into the play-offs. He’s also the only player in Polish history to score for a two-digit score, netting the tenth and final goal against San Marino whilst still a Saints player, in 2009.

EURO 2012 – Nobody

EURO 2016 – Seven players

Euro 2016 was spectacularly well represented for Saints, with only 11 clubs in world football providing more players than Southampton’s seven. Recently departed Ryan Bertrand started once for England against Slovakia, with fellow teammate Fraser Forster also in the squad that was eliminated by Iceland at the first knockout hurdle.

Steven Davis captained Northern Ireland and started every game as they managed to get out of a tough group stage before defeat to Wales in the next match. Shane Long started every match for Republic of Ireland, as they too reached the knockout stages – only to be drawn against hosts France.

Striker Graziano Pelle lead the line for quarter-finalists Italy and scored twice, both goals coming to make it 2-0 in injury time of games against Belgium and Spain, and becoming the first Saints player to ever score at a Euros.

That leaves Saints most successful ever Euro representatives, with right-back Cedric Soares and centre-half Jose Fonte both getting their hands on the coveted Henri Delaunay Trophy – and both starting the final. Cedric played a pivotal role for the Portuguese on the night, silencing red-hot Dmitri Payet.

EURO 2020 – Che Adams, Stuart Armstrong, Jan Bednarek and Jannik Vestergaard

Four players were selected from Saints to partake in the delayed Euro 2020, with Scotland’s Che Adams and Stuart Armstrong making up half the numbers. Both featured as the Tartan Army held England to a 0-0 draw at Wembley but could do nothing to help their side progress. Centre-back Jan Bednarek adds a third name, with all exiting at the group stage, leaving Dane Vestergaard as the solitary Saint.

The defender, who has been linked with a move away from the south coast side, had his fate sealed as the third most successful Saints player in Euro history.