MAARTEN Stekelenburg may still have a future at Saints with Fulham keen to offload the Dutch goalkeeper and Ronald Koeman needing an experienced back-up.

The 33-year-old was brought in on a season-long loan from the Championship club by Koeman last summer as cover for the injured Fraser Forster.

However, the former Netherlands international stopper could find himself a wanted man at St Mary's once more.

Now Kelvin Davis has now hung up his gloves it leaves only Paulo Gazzaniga as an inexperienced replacement between the sticks.

That could well pave the way for Stekelenburg to return to St Mary's as back-up to Forster – potentially on another loan deal.

The ex-Ajax man, who was given his professional debut by Koeman while at the Amsterdam giants, provided cover until Forster's return in January from a long-term knee injury.

He hasn't appeared since, although played in Davis' testimonial two days after the end of the Premier League season.

Stekelenburg had a torrid spell at Craven Cottage, but still has a year left to run on his contract with the Championship club, who he signed with in 2013.

It is thought that Fulham, who consider the goalkeeper an expensive misfit, are not interested in a return for Stekelenburg.

Certainly, with only Gazzaniga left behind Forster, Stekelenburg would offer Koeman a strong alternative as Saints head into a jam-packed season, which includes a Europa League group stage campaign.

Stekelenburg's playing time at Fulham was limited, having been dropped the bench as they were relegated from the Premier League.

He was then left out the squad all together as he made it clear he didn't want to play in the Championship.

He was soon shipped out on loan to Monaco on a temporary deal.

After that Koeman offered him the chance to prove himself in England as cover for Forster while he recovered from a ruptured patellar tendon.

In all, he made 25 appearances for Saints last season, with his last coming in the FA Cup 2-1 defeat to Crystal Palace in the FA Cup.

He has previously admitted that he is open to ideas regarding staying on at Saints.

"I’m open for anything. It doesn’t only depend on me. It depends on the club as well," he said earlier this season.

"I had some bad luck as well in the last couple of years with coaches who got fired and new ones came in.

"The new ones came in and we weren’t the closest.

"That happens in football and I’m happy for the chance they gave me because I know Ronald (Koeman) from the start of my career.

"I’m just happy for the chance he gave me and I know why they brought me on board because Fraser was injured."