- Russell Martin leads Southampton back to Premier League on Sunday
- Southampton beat Leeds United 1-0 in Wembley Stadium play-off final
- Did Chelsea offer Manchester United a way out of the darkness of Eric Ten Witches with Mauricio Pochettino’s exit? – Listen to “It All Begins!” Podcast
Southampton manager Russell Martin admitted he was overcome with emotion after guiding Southampton back to the Premier League.
“This is probably the best feeling I’ve ever had. I’m just so grateful. I’ve felt that way all week, a huge amount of pride and gratitude for what the players have given us,” Martin said.
“It’s incredible what they’ve done as a group of players and how they’ve grown mentally together. I think this is going to be the toughest time since the split and I hope we can keep them together as much as possible.
“I would end up crying alone in my bed, feeling nothing but love for my players,” Martin insisted.
The 38-year-old thanked Jason Wilcox, who left Southampton last month to become United’s technical director, for their faith in him. Wilcox joined Southampton as director of football last summer and hired Martin after the club were relegated to the Championship.
Russell Martin paid tribute to his players and Southampton executives after beating Leeds United in Sunday’s play-off final
Southampton return to Premier League after 1-0 win at Wembley
Martin thanked former Southampton technical director Jason Wilcox (pictured) for hiring him and admitted he felt the executive was “brave” for hiring him
“Jason had a great day on Saturday (with Manchester United). It was not a sexy appointment to appoint me. They were brave enough to give me a chance and hopefully I can repay them with a day they will always remember. It definitely gives One of the best days of my career,” Martin added.
The Saints boss, who guided Norwich to success in the Championship play-off final at Wembley nine years ago, insisted the win felt different and stressed it was a defense of his own.
“It’s great to be able to do this as a player. It’s different as a manager because my family feels the weight of it more. My job is at risk because of the instability of it all,” he explain. “I’ve battled wits with some fantastic coaches this season and with the quality of the Championship, Kieran (McKenna) and Enzo (Maresca) have been linked with every job in the country as evidenced by that. a little.
No team in England has more possession than Southampton’s average (66.1%) and Martin insists he will pursue a similar style in the top flight.
“Possession doesn’t win games, but it’s a tool to try and take the randomness out of the game and it’s your best chance to show your best. For me, that’s the best way to win and that’s what we have The belief that we finally won something by doing this will be a validation for some people and I’m sure we won’t be able to prove it in the Premier League, so we have to prove ourselves right.” Martin said.
Martin added that he felt he was “not the sexiest appointment” but said he was grateful to the club and his players
Adam Armstrong (pictured)’s decisive first-half goal ended Southampton’s year-long hiatus from the Premier League
Daniel Farke admits his team “suffered a lot” after defeat but will “come back stronger”
Leeds boss Daniel Farke admitted he couldn’t have felt worse after his side suffered a record fourth defeat in the play-off final.
“The situation could not be worse, we are suffering a lot,” Falke said. “We are suffering today and we are deeply disappointed that we have not been able to send our supporters home with something to cheer about and that there has been no return To the promised land.
“We’ll use this as extra motivation to get stronger. It’s difficult to come back with over 90 points, but being able to call ourselves a Premier League team is what we want.
