ALEX McCarthy has signed a new four-year contract at Saints, bringing his salary in-line with his status as first-choice goalkeeper. 

McCarthy replaced Fraser Forster as number one shot stopper last December and has subsequently tightened his grip on the position with a number of excellent performances.

The 28-year-old was superb in Saints' battle against relegation and the club knew they must act this summer to keep one of their most impressive performers. 

There was interest from elsewhere, including Tottenham, in McCarthy, who Saints signed in 2016 from Crystal Palace and had just one year left on his current contract. 

Saints quickly entered negotations with McCarthy and his agent earlier this summer and knew they must offer the former QPR man a bumper new deal to compete with the contract they handed Forster last July. 

Saints made Forster one of the best paid players at the club, with a contract worth in the region of £15m.

At the time the club did not foresee that Forster’s form would dip to the point he would be dropped and McCarthy would go from the position of being the reliable back-up man to the first choice.

As such, Saints offered McCarthy a lucrative new deal and now he has signed on untul 2022.

He said: “I’m massively pleased. I had one year left on my current deal and obviously I’m over the moon to sign a new four-year deal. 

“I think the club is going in the right direction. With the way we finished the season, we can take that into this one and hopefully finish a lot higher up the table. 

“Everyone is ready to go.”