For the last few weeks, football clubs around the world have been trying to out-do each other with the most eye-catching and elaborate ways to announce their news.
But Southampton decided to take a different approach to the summer craze of transfer announcement videos on Thursday night.
Are we doing this right? 👀✍️ #saintsfc pic.twitter.com/TaByabGqci
— Southampton FC (@SouthamptonFC) July 13, 2017
As the window hots up, clubs have been battling not just for signatures but to see who can unveil names in the most creative way.
Sides have used the likes of popular video game FIFA, Snapchat and fans to announce players and Saints decided to give the trend a sarcastic twist.
Announcing a new one-year deal for veteran back-up keeper Stuart Taylor, they tweeted a minute-long video which, to footage of a helicopter landing, a speedboat setting off and soldiers pursuing a target, read: “Another unnecessarily elaborate football club signing video.”
Stuart Taylor (Southampton FC/Twitter screenshot)
It continued to say “announce the ******* signing” and showed several tweets from fans begging for Taylor’s renewal.
And, at the end of the video, Taylor, who has made a name for himself as a perennial back-up with just 88 career starts in a 20-year career, is happy to make fun of himself by raising a cup of tea to the camera.
The video ends by saying #taylorannounced.
Football fans gave their stamp of approval:
Absolutely superb @SouthamptonFC @jordansibley 👏🏻👏🏻
— juliette ferrington (@juliette_grace) July 13, 2017
Well played👏 pic.twitter.com/TlTHm5ngtX
— Footy Accumulators (@FootyAccums) July 13, 2017
This is superb work.
— Soccer AM (@SoccerAM) July 13, 2017
👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 Whoever did this, give them a pay rise (unless it is @jordansibley)
— Simon Peach (@SimonPeach) July 13, 2017
@colmgorey this is god-level
— Dean Van Nguyen (@deanvannguyen) July 13, 2017
Well played Southampton. Well played.
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