Marieanne Spacey-Cale has insisted that the women’s programme remains in the ‘strategic future’ of the club after last season’s relegation from the Premier League.

Having been reformed in 2017, Saints finished sixth in their first campaign in the Women's Championship, while the men's side dropped out of the top division.

In the past other women’s teams have suffered as a result of the club’s men’s side being relegated.

Just this season, Reading have reverted to semi-pro after their women’s and men’s team were relegated from the Women’s Super League and Championship respectively.

However, Spacey-Cale received assurance from Southampton chairman Henrik Kraft over the summer that the women’s set-up remains a key element of Sport Republic’s plans.

“From speaking to Henrik he told me that the women's programme is very important and that it is part of the strategic future of the club.

“I’ve also met Jason (Wilcox) on a couple of occasions, and Phil Parsons the new CEO, and we had some very positive conversations.

“We are not naive enough to think we can go knocking on the door and ask them for more all the time.

“We have been given the assurances that we've got what we've got, and we will build with that.

“We have the autonomy to be able to go, right, this is what we've got, this is what we need, now let's go and get it – with the assurance of the owners of how important the women's programme is for the club's future.”

Saints are hoping to build from their successful debut Championship campaign - which saw average attendance for matches increase by 355 per cent following a permanent move to St Mary's.

Spacey-Cale revealed to the Daily Echo before the start of the season that the club have set their attention on achieving promotion to the Women's Super League.

Saints have got off to a good start to the new season, winning their first two games of the season, which sees them sit top of the table.

Conversations regarding their new targets came during a summer which has seen several personnel changes across the club.  

“It’s a period of change at the club," she added. "One thing I would say to all supporters of the club is that with change there comes a certain optimism.

“I think we have to be optimistic not just for the women’s programme and the women’s first team.

"With Russell (Martin) coming in we’ve got to see it as an optimistic future for the club.

“It's hard when a team gets relegated, but I think sometimes you've just got to kind of step back and go, well, 'what are we going to do now?'

“For us as a women’s programme, we’ve got the support and we are part of the long-term strategy, and that's what we can focus on.”