Preston North End midfielder Richard Chaplow has become Nigel Adkins' first signing as new Southampton manager.

The midfielder's month-long loan from Preston starts on Saturday against Bournemouth.

Adkins said: "He's a naturally fit player, a very energetic lad who has played in the Premier League and is still young.

"He's an exceptional talent, unfortunately he's not been playing up at Preston for whatever reason, that's not for us to talk about, but what we have got is an opportunity for us to bring him into our environment and add some valuable cover to the group of players that we have got.

"It's a win-win situation where we are bringing him in for a month, we can have a look at him, he's not figured this season as a first team starter, so we need to assess where he is from a fitness point of view."

Chaplow, who has one England Under-21 cap, first joined Saints on loan when he was at West Bromwich Albion five years ago. During that spell, he played eleven games and scored once before a cartilage injury curtailed his stay.