DEFENDER Tino Livramento admitted he "loved every minute" of his time playing for Saints.

Former Saint Livramento, 21, has just received his first England call-up this month ahead of their Nations League campaign getting under way.

Livramento made 34 appearances for Saints during a two-season spell which saw him miss a full year of football following an ACL injury at Brighton.

The youngster made his return at the same stadium at the tail end of the 2022/23 relegation campaign before making a big-money move to Newcastle United.

Speaking to TalkSport, the full-back was asked to recount his development from a youngster at Chelsea to an England international.

He said: "I've been around the country a bit. I feel like when you are at Chelsea you dominate the game quite a lot.

"The academy is unbelievable. Just look at some of the players who have come through recently. I had the opportunity to go to Southampton, which was a complete change.

"I really enjoyed being the underdog in most games we went into. I loved every minute of being on the pitch when I was a Southampton player.

"The fans, the manager, the team, they all took to me there and they were there for me in my tough times when I was injured.

"Now being at Newcastle is different again. It's amazing to be a part of the culture in the city. I love living up there."

England interim head coach Lee CarsleyEngland interim head coach Lee Carsley (Image: PA)
Interim England boss Lee Carsley has handed Livramento his first call-up to the Under-20, Under-21 and now England senior teams.

The Birmingham-born former Republic of Ireland international remained in contact with Livramento during his lengthy spell on the sidelines.

"As a coach, he has his own ideas, but as a person, he's a really nice guy," Livramento continued.

"When I was injured for a really long time, he was still texting me all the time. That shows the type of person he is.

"That was big. You obviously have your teammates who always check up on you, but he was someone who didn't see me every day. That was really nice. He kept me in the loop and I'm very grateful."