Southampton, England (SportsNetwork.com) - Defender Ryan Bertrand made his move to Southampton a permanent one on Monday as he signed a four-and-a-half- year contract with the Saints.
The 25-year-old Bertrand spent the first half of the season on loan from Chelsea, and after an impressive showing at St Mary's, the club has moved to secure his services on a permanent basis.
Bertrand has started 22 of Southampton's 23 games in the Premier League this season, scoring two goals with two assists while being an ever present in a back line that has yielded a league-best 17 goals this term.
Despite beginning his senior career with Chelsea in 2006, Bertrand has spent much of his time away from Stamford Bridge, making only 28 appearances for the Blues while being loaned to Bournemouth, Oldham Athletic, Norwich City, Reading, Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa before arriving at Southampton prior to the start of this season.
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