FORMER Saints midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin opened up on his time with the club and labelled it his “happiest years”, reserving special praise for two men.

The Frenchman played for the St Mary’s side between 2008-2015, racking up 261 appearances as the club went from playing in League One to the Premier League.

Former Strasbourg man Schneiderlin eventually departed for Manchester United in a deal worth around £30 million, but left Old Trafford just 18 months later.

Schneiderlin, now playing for Australia's Western Sydney Wanderers with 15 senior international caps to his name, admits he loved playing for Saints but also regrets leaving United for Everton so soon after joining.

In a new interview with the Daily Mail, he said: “'(It was) my happiest years. Southampton was a family. So many clubs say, 'We are a family'. But for most of them, it is bull****.”

The article reveals Dean Wilkins, former Saints first-team coach, told Schneiderlin that without fitness and aggression his rich potential would remain unfulfilled.

“I employed a personal chef and my own fitness coach,” says Schneiderlin. “And in training sessions, I wasn't focusing on my passing. I didn't give a damn about losing the ball, I just wanted to get the ball back. I thank Dean Wilkins a lot.”

Of all of his top-level former bosses, Schneiderlin reserves complimentary words for Mauricio Pochettino, who managed Saints for 16 months from January 2013.

Schneiderlin is apologetic over a Tweet from the summer of 2014 when he was agitating to join the Argentine after he had taken over at Tottenham Hotspur.

“6 years of an amazing journey #saintsfc DESTROYED in 1 hour !!!” wrote Schneiderlin.

Schneiderlin moved to explain that decision, adding: “To make a transfer happen, sometimes you say things and don't think.

“I loved Mauricio as a human being and as a coach. He couldn't speak English but from his first training sessions, it was clear what he wanted.

“He put confidence in every player, and everyone's level improved. His communication was top drawer and, for me, he is the best. Playing for him I felt free and I would give my life for him on the pitch.”

Schneiderlin, who has been labelled as a fantastic character by a Daily Echo source close to the dressing room during his stint at St Mary’s, feels regret over his United stay.

The Frenchman played just 47 times, scoring his only goal in a 3-0 away win at what would turn out to be his next club – Everton. Schneiderlin was also an unused substitute in their successful FA Cup final under Louis van Gaal in 2016.

“I was too affected by what Louis van Gaal was asking from me,” Schneiderlin admits, explaining his shortcomings. “I lost me as a player. It was not me on the field.

“It was not just the manager's fault, it was my fault, too. My role was not the one I had at Southampton. I felt restricted in my game. I felt they wanted to change things in me. I was not thinking as me, I was thinking about what pleased the coach.

“When you reach that point, every pass you make, everything you do, you don't play free. Something stopped me from being who I was. I wanted so much to do well and it is one of the most frustrating things ever.

“But I regret leaving Manchester United so early. I should have thought, 'You worked all your life for this and spent seven years at Southampton going from League One to become a top Premier League player. Stay and you will succeed'.”