Sadly Hassan Kachloul is not remembered with much affection by Saints supporters.
The 25 year old Kachloul had not exactly made much of an impression in the world of football when he arrived on trial at the Dell in October 1998, orn in Morocco but having been brought up in France he had made an impression for Nimes before joining FC Metz for whom he had made only 7 appearances and whom loaned him out on season long loans on more than one occasion.
Hence he negotiated his way out of his Metz contract in the summer of 1998 and hawked himself around the clubs of Europe with no takers and Saints fans had never heard of him when it was announced that he was there for a trial, therefore breaths were not baited with anticipation.
However perhaps the desperation of last chance saloon made him find something that had previously lain dormant because he showed then manager David Jones that he was good enough to be offered a two and a half year contract.
Making his debut for the club as a sub in a vital 2-0 win at Blackburn he would soon make a more permanent place his own with a flurry of five goals as Saints looked destined for relegation, but somehow his flair in the midfield gave Saints fans a little hope that perhaps they could get get out of the mire.
Of course history now shows that this season would be named The Great Escape and that Saints would wriggle out of it on the last day.
Those who were old enough to remember will recall what became known as Dellhurst Park, as Saints fans took over Crystal Palace's ground for the game against Wimbledon officially 12,000 went, almost the home support capacity of the Dell at that time, but thousands more obtained tickets in the home sections to make it one of the great away trips of all time.
The 12,000 massed on one side of the ground and many wore fez's and blew on Kazoo's in a tribute to the then popular Moroccan.
1999/00 would be another good season for Kachloul although the supporters did note that he scored four of his five goals in a short burst earlier in the season in a similar vein to the previous one, however it would be a season of mid table obscurity for Saints and the fans looked forward with optimism.
Kachloul once again started the season well in 00/01, hitting two goals in a 2-2 draw at Derby County on the opening day, however these would be his only goals in the league that year until he hit another brace in what would be his and the clubs final game at the Dell.
Although for the most of the season Kachloul would be a regular, starting 26 of the 38 league games plus 6 as sub, there were rumours that contract negotiations had broken down due to his excessive wage demands and that refusing to sign a new contract Kachloul would walk on a free at the end of the season, ironically as was previously mentioned the player scored two against Arsenal on that famous last day at the Dell, but he was gone, however controversy always seemed to dog the player and that summer would see him branded greedy not just by Saints fans but by the country as a whole.
He left Saints having played 82 games in all competitons plus 14 as sub scoring 15 goals
Initially it was announced that hee was to join Ipswich Town and although the Tractor Boys had finished 6th in their first season back in the top flight in over a decade and had qualified for Europe, it wasnt seen as a step up from Saints, however it was announced that he had verbally agreed to join them and Saints fans mourned their loss, however it seemed that the rumours of Kachloul saying one thing and doing another had substance and before Ipswich could draft the contract, he had been enticed to Aston Villa, the inference from East Anglia was that Villa had offered him a lot more money and gazumped them.
However Kachlouls quest for money was virtually going to finaish his career, John Gregory was the manager who signed him and must have rued that day as he was out by the January and Kachloul had already played most of the 22 games he would amass in the league at Villa Park and for the next 2 1/2 years he would barely paly a game apart from 4 on loan to Wolves in 03/04
He didnt play much but his bank account ticked over nicely and when his contract ended at Villa after three seasons, the only games he had played were the aforementioned 22 plus 4 on loan, he had effectively thrown away the prime years of his career.
After a spell as a free agent, now aged 32 he joined Livingston, where he helped the club avoid relegation, playing in 8 games at the end of the season and indeed scoring with his first touch, a free-kick against Dunfermline. His time at Livingston was somewhat overshadowed due to the suspicious circumstances of his transfer.
As he had joined as a free agent, and was signed outside the transfer window, he played under 'amateur' status. However, this was found to be unsound as he was discovered to be receiving an income from Livingston. The SPL ruled that the player could have been signed as a professional, Livingston argued that they had gained no competitive advantage from this situation, and as a result demands for a points deduction were not followed. The club were fined £15,000
In the summer of 2005 Kachloul pitched up for a trial at Derby County but the Rams decided that he wasnt what they wanted and didnt take him on, still only aged 32 he decided to retire.
Saints fans initially revered Kachloul as was proved by the day at Dellhurst Park, however their views were soon soured as they often felt that talented as he was, he sometimes appeared to be trying harder in some games more than others, the rumours of his unfair demands and frequent backtracking during his contract negotiations meant that when he left the Dell, although the supporters knew they were losing a good player, they were not losing a decent and honourable man, therefore you wont find too many Saints supporters from that time with a good word to say about him.
His career stats perhaps speak for themselves, by the age of 22 he had played 86 times for Nimes, he would play a similar total for Saints, but it would be only around the same number again for the rest of his career, 250 or so games in a 13 year professional career is not good, especially when you consider that for eight of those years he barely averaged 8 games a season, this perhaps tells you more about what mattered most to Hassan Kachloul and it wasnt the desire to play games of football, except when contract negotiations were on the horizon