SAINTS now boast one of the most cosmopolitan squads in the history of the club.

There are currently 14 different nationalities at St Mary’s, once Tadanari Lee’s imminent arrival is taken into account.

That is just one less than the peak Saints hit in the 2005/06 season.

Lee’s transfer from J.League side Sanfrecce Hiroshima has been agreed, and his work permit approved.

Having said his goodbyes in Japan, the 26-year-old is expected to make his move official this week.

Lee will become the first ever Japanese footballer to play for the club – and he will also represent the 14th different nationality currently at Saints.

Spain Under-21 international Iago Falque’s arrival this week took the total up to 13.

Falque has joined on loan from Tottenham Hotspur until the end of the season.

While English is obviously the most common nationality at the club, the squad is a very eclectic one.

Guly do Prado brings his brand of Brazilian flair to the club, and is Saints’ sole South American presence.

Africa is represented in the imposing shape of Tunisian centre half Radhi Jaidi.

For many years now, the club has also been home to a reasonably large Polish contingent.

That has diminished somewhat in past seasons, with the departures of the likes of Grzegorz Rasiak, Marek Saganowski, Tomas Hajto and Kamil Kosowski.

But keeper Bartosz Bialkowski remains in the ranks.

The heart of Saints’ defence has a very continental look to it, with Portugal’s Jose Fonte and the Netherlands’ Jos Hooiveld at centre back.

French midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin remains a key part of the first-team, while there is also Belgian winger Steve De Ridder.

Closer to home, David Connolly provides an Irish presence, while youngster Ryan Doble hails from Wales and left-back Danny Fox, despite being born in Cheshire, has represented Scotland.

Finally, there is the slightly strange case of Jonathan Forte who, although born in Sheffield, has actually played for Barbados at international level on a couple of occasions.

In 2007/08, Saints also had 14 different nationalities included in their squad.

In 2005/06 there was 15, including Algeria’s Djamel Belmadi, Jamaica’s Ricardo Fuller, Trinidad & Tobago’s Kenwyne Jones and Latvian ace Marian Pahars, as well as Uruguayan midfielder Marcelo Tejera – although he never made it past the substitutes’ bench.