FRASER Forster has revealed that Adam Lallana helped persuade him to sign for Saints in the summer.

Lallana recommended Saints to the goalkeeper during their time together with England at the World Cup, when Forster was in the process of leaving Celtic.

"I spoke to Adam Lallana quite a lot in the summer and as soon as the opportunity arose he was very complimentary about the club and said I’d love it," he said.

"I felt it was the right time to come down and play Premier League football and it was a fantastic opportunity and one that I could never have turned down.

"I can’t speak highly enough of the England boys who were here last season, they haven't got a bad word to say about the place.

"They will be the first ones to say what a fantastic club it is to play for.

"I’m delighted with the choice I made."

Forster has two England caps and his career has also featured a loan spell at Bristol Rovers with Rickie Lambert, in 2009.

"It was good to be at a World Cup together five years on," he said. "Rickie’s a top player. He sums up what you can do at this club. He’s really performed well. He’s been an absolute legend for this club coming up through the divisions."

Forster is another gem of a signing.

A big factor in Saints' impressive form this season, he has conceded only two goals in the last 551 minutes.

There was nothing he could do to stop Mark Noble's deflected goal for West Ham and Alexis Sanchez's wonder free-kick for Arsenal on Tuesday night.

The win at the Emirates was the undoubted high point of his Saints career so far.

"It was a great team performance, we limited them to just a few opportunities," he said. "We were fantastic at the back, very strong.

"There's a real togetherness and an eagerness to perform and help each other out.

"When you come to the Emirates you know you’re going to be under pressure and you’re going to have to defend well.

"We’re very compact as a team. We had to soak up a lot of pressure and then we were positive going forward. We can be very proud of the result."

The debut performance of Sadio Mane has excited the whole squad.

"He’s looked really sharp in training," continued Forster. "He’s a top, top player and another great one to have in the armoury.

"The club have had a fantastic summer, business wise. We’ve brought in some really good players and no doubt Sadio will be another one.

"We had a couple of weeks where we were sorting out his work permit but he’s fitted in straight away."

So has Forster, a product of the renowned Wallsend Boys Club, which has also produced the likes of Steve Bruce, Michael Carrick, Peter Beardsley and Alan Shearer.

"The atmosphere in the squad is something really special, there's a real togetherness," he continued. "As soon as you walk in the door you’re made to feel really welcome.

"That's key when you come to a new club, we’ve all settled really quickly. The club has invested a lot of money and now the transfer window's shut we know what we've got for the season.

"It’s been a great start, but it’s only a start and it’s important we keep moving forward."

That means treating the cup competitions with the respect that was lacking under Mauricio Pochettino last season.

"Definitely," said Forster. "The manager's very keen to play well in every competition and keep that momentum going.

"Credit to him, he’s really made a stamp on the team since we have all come in. He’s got in the players he wants. He’s a fantastic manager to play for."