ARSENE Wenger has paid tribute to the Saints academy system that produced Theo Walcott and Gareth Bale.

The much respected Arsenal manager swooped for one of Saints’ hottest ever prospects in Walcott, paying what proved to be a total of £9.1m for him, and also admitted he was interested in Bale before he moved to North London rivals Spurs.

Walcott has gone on to establish himself as an England international and is now a regular member of the Gunners first team as they challenge for the Premier League title.

Bale’s performances for Spurs, particularly in the Champions League this season, have also made him one of the hottest prospects in world football.

Wenger praised the Saints academy system for producing the players and admitted he felt sorry for the club that they were not able to take advantage of the talent they helped create in their own team for a sustained period of time.

Full story in today's Daily Echo