THE memories came flooding back for Saints great Terry Paine yesterday when he presented club president Ted Bates with his first England cap.

The names Paine and Bates will forever be synonymous with Saints. Paine played at The Dell between 1956 and 1974, while Bates, Saints' longest serving manager, was at the helm from 1955 to 1973.

The England cap was won in 1963 and will now sit pride of place in the Terry Paine Suite at the Friends Provident St Mary's Stadium.

Paine - who holds the all-time record for Saints league appearances on 713 - now lives and works in South Africa, but has been back in England this week and was at the Millennium Stadium for Saturday's FA Cup final.

He paid a warm tribute to his former manager.

"It is the first time I have been at the new stadium and the first time I have seen the new suite and it is great to see Ted here," he said.

"I remember when I signed for him he told me I had to call him Mr Bates, to which I said 'okay Ted!'

"He looked after me and I still remember him making me sign all those years ago.

"I'm so pleased to be presenting this to Ted and it is wonderful to see him again."

He added: "I was thrilled that the club had named a suite after me and to come back and be with my old manager is just fantastic. I really wanted him to be here.

"He helped me go on to play for England and what he gave to Southampton Football Club was magnificent. He built the foundations and it's great to be here.

"1963 was my first game for England and at the time Alf Ramsey was rebuilding his team. We managed to win 4-2 against what was a good Czechoslovakia side who had just been to the semi-finals of the World Cup."

Now 64, the Winchester-born former winger lives in Johannesburg working as a pundit on popular television show Super Saturday which is beamed across 50 countries in Africa on Mnet Supersport.

He said: "It's hard to believe it is nearly 30 years since I left the club.

"But I'm glad to say nothing has changed, the club still looks after the old players and everyone has been brilliant to me.

"That is why this club is so popular. It is something it has over the likes of Arsenal and Manchester United."

Paine was in the 1966 England World Cup winning squad and went on to play 19 times for England.

He added: "The last time I came back was two years ago for the end of The Dell. They had to move on and this is a truly fantastic stadium."

Manager Gordon Strachan and chairman Rupert Lowe were on hand to welcome Paine back and Lowe said: "It is a wonderful momento."

Don't miss this weekend's Pink for a bigger interview with Southampton legend Terry Paine.