SAINTS legend James Beattie has insisted his January 2005 exit was manager Harry Redknapp’s decision and not his.

The former England international – who scored 76 goals in 231 appearances for Saints, including 60 in the Premier League across a rampant 2000-04 – claims he would have liked to stay.

Beattie signed for Everton in the winter transfer window for a fee of around £6million, before Saints went on to suffer relegation that season.

The striker scored 23 league goals during the 2002-03 term – more than any other Englishman and the third-highest in the division – while firing Saints to a first FA Cup final since 1976.

In a new club interview, Beattie insisted he did not want to leave to join the Toffees but that the decision was made for him by manager Redknapp.

“It wasn’t my decision, a lot has been said but Harry (Redknapp) came in and he said I need to sell you,” Beattie recalled.

“He said you’re my only sellable asset, I need to raise some funds to get some more players in. That was it, that was the end of the conversation.”

Beattie added: “I said I didn’t want to go but he said ‘we need to sell you’. I would have fully expected to stay up, obviously the season the club got relegated. To sell your top scorer…”

Beattie had only netted three in 11 Premier League matches the season up to his departure.

Peter Crouch finished top scorer with 12 as Saints ended the campaign bottom and were condemned to the Championship.

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