PROMOTION has triggered a contract extension for Saints captain Jack Stephens, with his previous deal set to expire next summer.

An additional year means the 30 year old is signed up until 2026, having signed refreshed terms in August 2023 when he was announced club captain.

Stephens made 26 appearances in the Championship last campaign as Russell Martin's side secured promotion back to the Premier League.

That promotion - won by a 1-0 play-off final win at Wembley versus Leeds United - has triggered a clause in his contract to add one year. 

The defender signed for Saints as a teenager in 2011, joining from local outfit Plymouth Argyle and going on to make 181 appearances for the club.

Stephens penned an initial two-year deal in 2023 and would have been able to depart the club in June 2025 on a free transfer. The extension secures his future.

Stephens was not part of the squad that took on Eastleigh in their opening pre-season match, with Saints winning 7-1 at Silverlake Stadium.

Flynn Downes and Taylor Harwood-Bellis captained the team in his absence, with manager Russell Martin keen to share the armband around this month.