FORMER Saints forward Shane Long has welcomed the timely return of Oriol Romeu, who is set to rejoin the club on a free transfer.
Romeu, 34, will re-sign for Saints on a short-term deal until the end of the season, in a move which has been celebrated by supporters.
The Spaniard will add much-needed midfield depth to Southampton's squad, and according to Long, 38, he will be the leader they need both on and off the pitch.
The former Republic of Ireland international expects Romeu to lift the standards in training and will lead by example with how he carries out extra details like gym work and diet.
“It's great news. It’s nice to get some good news for the club. It’s been tough lately,” Long told BBC Radio Solent.
“Getting someone as experienced as Ori, if you imagine how he plays, he also trains like that every day. He does everything at 100 per cent in life.
“He will be positive for the dressing room too, to lift the boys, and get the best out of everyone. He will be a leader on and off the pitch.
“We used to have arguments in training because he could two-foot you - he is 100 per cent at everything.
Saints deem it unlikely that Oriol Romeu will go straight into the matchday squad with games against QPR and Sheff Wednesday this week.
He’ll need a bit of time get up to full match sharpness. He hasn't played since May. He should make an impact off the pitch, though.#SaintsFC— George Rees-Julian (@rees_julian) November 4, 2025
“He tackles and gets himself stuck in a lot. Over his time at Southampton, he learned to keep it simple as well.
“When he won the ball back, he would give it to players like Sadio Mane and Dusan Tadic to create something.
“I know the centre-backs loved having him there because if you’d gotten past Ori, you were doing really well.
“He is going to up the training standards and lead by example. On the pitch, his quality will shine through. When he left in 2022, he was a big loss for that dressing room.”
