JELLE VAN DAMME is the joint fourth biggest signing in Saints' history. The only players to have cost more are record signing Rory Delap (£4m), Kevin Phillips (£3.25m) and Agustin Delgado (£3.2m).

Midfielder David Prutton also cost £2.5m when he was signed from Nottingham Forest during the January transfer window in 2003.

Saints have now spent over £13m on new players since January 2003 - ammunition they can use against supporters who claim they lack ambition to move up the much-vaunted 'next level' in the Premiership.

This is how Saints have spent in the past 18 months.

£3.25m - Kevin Phillips (Sunderland)

£2.5m - Jelle Van Damme (Ajax), David Prutton (Nottingham Forest).

£1.5m - Danny Higginbotham (Derby), Neil McCann (Glasgow Rangers).

£500,000 - Paul Smith (Brentford), Stephen Crainey (Celtic)

£250,000 - Yoann Folly (St Etienne), Fitz Hall (Oldham).

Plus Saints have also paid undisclosed fees for youngsters Leandre Griffit (Amiens), Kenwyne Jones (Trinidad), Dexter Blackstock (Oxford United) and Leon Best (Notts County).

JELLE VAN DAMME is the 15th nationality in the St Mary's league of nations.

Here is a list of the various nationalities to be found at Saints these days:

English (numerous).

Welsh - Arron Davies.

Scottish - Stephen Crainey, Neil McCann, Paul Telfer

Republic of Ireland - Rory Delap

Northern Ireland - Alan Blayney, Chris Baird

Ecuadorian - Agustin Delgado

Finnish - Antti Niemi

Norwegian - Jo Tessem, Claus Lundekvam

Swedish - Anders Svensson, Michael Svensson

French - Fabrice Fernandes, Yoann Folly, Leandre Griffit

Latvian - Marian Pahars

Icelandic - Tim Sparv

Trinidadian - Kenwyne Jones

Belgian - Jelle Van Damme

Portuguese - Feliciano Condesso