Southampton midfielder Jack Cork is delighted he has been able to launch his career after leaving Chelsea.

Cork joined Chelsea as a talented eight-year-old but, after emerging through the club's academy, he suddenly became the footballing equivalent of one of the Inbetweeners.

He told the People: "I was at Chelsea since I was a kid yet I became attached to Burnley when I was there and I never really felt like that about Chelsea.

"I always had Chelsea written alongside my name but I never really felt I could say that when people asked who I play for because I had never actually played for them.

"It was very weird. I'm one of their longest-serving players - who never actually played a game!

"I've played 150 times in senior football - but not one of those for Chelsea. It's strange but I wouldn't have swapped it. From my loan periods I learned about how to mix into groups and it has helped me mature a lot quicker than I would have otherwise.

"I was moving around a lot and I'd rent out a flat or stay in hotels. My girlfriend came with me up to Burnley and we enjoyed it.

"When we came down to Southampton we moved into a hotel but now we can look for somewhere to live that we can call home."