HE was previously responsible for providing protection for goalkeepers, as a defender for Southampton Football Club.

Now Marcel Cullers is winning recognition for providing security of a very different kind.

In January last year, former Saints Reserves centre-back Marcel, 37, founded Security Nation, which provides doormen and event staff for hotels, nightclubs, building sites and concerts.

Less than 18 months later, the firm has become the first business of its kind to win prestigious accreditation from Hampshire Trading Standards.

The company, which employs about 35 full-time staff, went through six weeks of rigorous checks to gain the highly sought-after Buy With Confidence accreditation.

The scheme provides consumers with a list of local businesses which have given their commitment to fair trading in a bid to stamp out rogue traders.

Marcel, who was on the books at The Dell between 1992 and 1995 before going on to play for Plymouth Argyle, said: “I’m really pleased that we have managed to achieve this.

“Everything we do was checked and vetted by trading standards, so for us to get the accreditation is brilliant.

“It’s unique for a business like ours to get it and it will raise our profile if potential customers know that what we do is vetted by trading standards.”

Security Nation already boasts the likes of the DeVere Grand Harbour Hotel and Southampton’s Rhino nightclub among its client base.