SAINTS’ successes on the pitch have recruited them an unlikely set of new fans – one of the world’s smallest armies.

A heart-warming video captured by Saints fan Matthew Hallett shows recruits in the Papua New Guinea Defence Force start singing the famous terrace chant Oh When The Saints Go Marching In while on a pack march.

It comes as the Daily Echo backs the #WeMarchOn campaign as the Saints push forward for a place in Europe next season.

The club’s remarkable success this season, which sees them currently in fourth place in the Premier League, has gripped the entire city.

Saints have enjoyed sell out crowds at St Mary’s this season with fans cheering on every goal from the likes of Graziano Pelle, Sadio Mane, and Morgan Schneiderlin as Ronald Koeman’s men seek their first taste of European football in 12 years.

Tomorrow’s clash with Liverpool will see a sold out St Mary’s for the ninth time in a row.

Koeman, who has become one of Saints’ best-loved managers in recent times, told the Daily Echo: “It’s great that we have a sell out crowd again, nine games in a row I think, and we are very happy for all the support that we are getting.”

The video of Papua New Guinea soldiers marching was uploaded by Mr Hallett, who is serving in the Australian army, to the Australian Southampton Supporters Facebook page, where it has been shared nearly 500 times.

The impressive 90-second long video shows the camouflage-clad recruits marching in line along a road.

They keep their spirits up by first singing a traditional march song before bursting into Saints’ anthem.

The Papua New Guinea army is ranked 151st in the list of 174 countries by military and paramilitary personnel.

It was founded in 1973 and has 2,100 active personnel, while there are 1,264,728 men and 1,167,188 females available for military service.

Daily Echo: Graziano Pelle

#WeMarchOn

Matthew said the group started singing the chant after he “educated” them to become fans of Ronald Koeman’s men during five weeks training them.

He said: “On my last pack march with the Papua New Guinea recruits prior to my departure back to Australia they started singing Oh When the Saints Go Marching In.

“I have educated them and they are now Saints supporters. I did not ask them to sing the song they just did it. The PNG Army always sings on pack marches, something I have never seen, especially having served 16 years in the British Army and six years in the Australian Army.

“The hairs on the back of my neck stood to attention when I heard them sing.”