It is hard to envisage many Premier League managers replying to letters from fans and just because Russell Martin belongs to that select group after masterminding promotion in his first season at Southampton, it is not a something he plans to renege on any time soon. “The supporters are the most important people at any club, because they’ll always outlast everyone else,” he says.
“You get given a club when you’re a little child, it becomes your tribe and it rarely changes unless you’re a glory-hunter like some of my Brighton fan mates … I didn’t see them when they were at Priestfield, playing at Gillingham. So if supporters have an opinion and they take the time to write to me, then I probably should take the time to write back, sometimes in a day, sometimes in a few weeks depending on the schedule. But I always try. I think it’s important.”
