SAINTS loanee Wesley Hoedt claims that he was no longer ‘wanted’ at the club after Ralph Hasenhuttl’s arrival in December.

Hoedt, who had been a regular fixture in the side under Mark Hughes, didn’t play a single game for Hasenhuttl before making his loan move to Spanish side Celta Vigo in January.

And the central defender told Spanish newspaper La Voz de Galicia that he wasn’t sure why the Austrian snubbed him.

Hoedt said: “I really don’t know.

“I was playing every game, but there was a change of coach and the new one made it very clear to me that he didn’t like me, that he didn’t want me.

“It was complicated for me, but I couldn’t do anything about it, so I’m lucky I could find a solution by coming to a club like this.”

The Dutch defender joined Saints for £15m in 2017 from Italian side Lazio on a five-year contract.

Having been bought when Mauricio Pellegrino was in the St Mary’s dugout, Hoedt managed to keep his place in the team when Hughes replaced the former boss towards the end of last season.

Hughes continued to pick Hoedt at the beginning of this campaign, despite the club shipping 21 goals in the 13 games that he played in.

But his run in the side came to an abrupt end when Hasenhuttl opted to play five at the back.

The Saints boss exiled Hoedt from the matchday squad as he decided to pick Maya Yoshida, Jannik Vestergaard and Jan Bednarek instead.

By joining Celta Vigo, who have an option to buy him in the summer, he linked-up with fellow Saint Sofiane Boufal.

However, Hoedt didn't get off to the best start for his new club after he managed to get sent off on his debut for two yellow card offences. 

He returned from his one-match suspension last weekend, going straight back into the starting XI, but couldn’t do anything to prevent a 3-1 thrashing from Getafe.

And despite not getting off to the best start in Spain, Hoedt is hoping he’s able to make his mark at the club after it failed to work out for him at Saints.

The 24-year-old added: “Overall, they showed a lot of interest in me. 

“I was in a difficult situation in Southampton, I wasn’t playing anything, and what I knew about Celta appealed to me.

“Between the personal situation in which I was, the great interest that they transmitted to me and the history of the club, I decided to come, and I hope that things go well.”