MICHAEL STENSGAARD has returned to FC Copenhagen without kicking a ball in anger for Saints.

The former Liverpool keeper was brought in from the Danish club in December on a Bosman free transfer but failed to make an impact.

He was pushed down the pecking order by Neil Moss and now has jumped at the chance to go back to Denmark with Saints recovering what they have paid out in wages and signing-on fees.

Manager Dave Jones said: "We have got our money back. It has not cost us anything so it worked out quite well in the end as we had two quality keepers to choose from when Paul Jones got hurt.

"Michael said he had played enough reserve team football in his career and wanted to be first-choice. I could not guarantee that with Paul in good form and Neil Moss doing so well."

Saints are also releasing promis-ing young full-back Phil Warner - but only on loan. He will join Second Division newcomers Brentford for the season.

Jones said: "We just want him to get experience of first-team football and he is not going to get that in our reserves with Jason Dodd and Scott Hiley ahead of him.

"But we will monitor him carefully and if he does well then we will know we have got a player on our hands.

"I would rather have him playing in front of a crowd and with the extra edge of first-team football and we may let out one or two other youngsters on loan so they can also gain experience."

After turning down a £2 million move to the Dell, Leeds centre-back David Wetherall has joined newly-promoted Bradford.

That has left Saints still searching for a replacement for Ken Monkou and they will inevitably be linked with Darren Moore, recently transfer-listed by the Bantams who don't want him to become a Bosman free in a year's time.

He is valued at £2.5 million but Jones said: "We are not in for him - or for Newcastle midfielder Des Hamilton who has also been linked with us.

"We enquired about him some time ago but it is old news and there is nothing in it."

However he is interested in promising Luton defender Chris Wilmott but with only 12 league appearances to his name the 21-year-old would be one for the future rather than now.

Another young prospect being eyed up is the attacking younger brother of Arsenal's Portuguese striker Luis Boa Morte.

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