Hartford Athletic coach Raidhi Jaidi has revealed how former Southampton players will still return to the club after being sold.

Jaidi left his job as Southampton U23 coach this season to take charge of United Soccer League sister club Hartford Athletic in the USA.

It meant leaving Saints after 11 years with the club - and in that time the former defender has played and worked with some of the club's greatest modern day players.

And significantly, Jaidi says the ties of the club with former stars such as Liverpool midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Manchester United fullback Luke Shaw remain strong.

Indeed, the former Tunisia international reveals Oxlade-Chamberlain was determined to finish his education with Saints even after his sale to Arsenal in 2011. The England international would go onto spend six years with the Gunners before leaving for Liverpool in 2017.

Jaidi told Tribalfootball.com: "I think this is what Southampton can take credit for, is to create players who are ready to challenge the circumstances, because obviously we breed good people, not just players, we breed people who are ready to challenge.

"If you go and ask Gareth Bale, he will go back and tell you I had the best education during my time at Southampton, that's what makes them successful. It's that personal aspect that makes the difference.

"Same if you ask Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, and I remember when he went to Arsenal, he still came back to our education department to finish his education, and he loves to come around Southampton still to see the old faces, same for Adam Lallana, who still lives in Southampton. So yeah, I think that's the magic about it, and Luke Shaw he is definitely one of our own."

Meanwhile, Jaidi has not cut ties with Southampton completely. His move to America is 'part of a 12-month secondment' from the Saints aimed at creating a long-term partnership across the Atlantic.