SIR Clive Woodward has called in the expertise of two doctors to help cure Saints' ills.

The club's director of football has persuaded Dr Sherylle Calder, a vision specialist, and Dr Adam Carey of Celebrity Fit Club fame, to work with the club on a consultancy basis.

Calder, who Woodward attributes to aiding England's Rugby World Cup success in 2003, was first invited to St Mary's at the start of the season.

But former manager Harry Redknapp scoffed at her presence and his comments were widely reported in the national media.

Fearing for her reputation, Calder headed back to her native South Africa.

Woodward did not hide his frustration, immediately cancelling all interviews.

But Calder has been persuaded to return after she was spotted at the club's Staplewood training ground and pictured sitting next to Woodward at St Mary's last Saturday.

A world-renowned vision coach, Calder's work is based on the premise that nothing happens in sport until the eye tells the body what it should do.

It makes the eye the most important muscle in sport but one that is commonly disregarded.

Last year Woodward said: "The eye is the most important muscle in the body. There's a famous quote from Muhammad Ali, 'you can't hit what you can't see'."

Calder's presence is characteristic of the sort of attention to detail Woodward has been busy installing at Saints to ensure players can take advantage of the small percentages.

She specialises in improving players' spatial awareness and co-ordination. England rugby hero Jonny Wilkinson swears by her training, as does Fareham's South African Olympic hockey goalkeeper Dave Staniforth.

Calder, a former South Africa hockey player herself, has also worked with South Africa rugby, the Australian cricket team - Hampshire skipper Shane Warne was reported to be impressed - an America's Cup sailing crew and UK Sport.

Dr Carey, meanwhile, is the part-time director of nutrition at the RFU - Woodward's former employers - and resident doctor for ITV's Celebrity Fit Club, a programme that aids so-called celebrities to lose weight.

Woodward has worked with Carey for the past eight years and now intends to use his expertise at Saints.

Old school football practitioners in Redknapp's mould may never fully appreciate the benefits of either a vision and nutrition coach.

But the reasoning is sound and proven.

Woodward, who was unavailable for comment yesterday, will be hoping Calder's stay is more productive this time around.

Saints fans can't wait to see the results.

Saints players enjoyed their first official taste of the Dome training facility at Staplewood this week.

The £1m plus indoor sports centre, which includes a pitch, gym, changing areas - as well as rest and relaxation areas - has been a year in construction and is the latest addition to modernise the club's training facilities.