Southampton confirm that Ryan Bertrand will leave club after this season

Southampton defender Ryan Bertrand is set to leave the club once his contract expires at the end of the season.

The news was broken by Southampton and later confirmed by Bertrand himself.

Bertrand signed permanently for Southampton from Chelsea in 2015 for £12m, after a successful loan spell at the club.

The England international went on to make 240 appearances for Saints in all competitions, scoring eight goals and assisting 20 at left-back.

“It has been a difficult decision but the time has come for me to seek a new challenge,” Bertrand said in his social media post.

During his time at Southampton, Bertrand was named in the PFA Team of the Year in 2015-16, played for Saints in the Europa League, two FA Cup semi-finals and a League Cup final.

“Whilst that time will always be fondly remembered, the club and Ryan have agreed that now is the time to respectfully part ways and move forward on different paths,” says the official from the Saints.

“Everyone associated with Southampton would like to thank Ryan for his contribution to the history of the club, and for all the memories he has helped create for our fans. He will forever be welcome at St Mary’s and Staplewood and will always be a Saint.”