ack Stephens declared his pride in leading Southampton back to the Premier League as a Wembley-winning captain.
The defender helped Saints keep a clean sheet in a nervy Championship play-off final that was decided by Adam Armstrong’s first-half strike.
For Stephens, the victory was particularly emotional given he was the sole survivor from the 2017 EFL Cup final team – a day in which Saints were cruelly beaten by Manchester United in a defeat the skipper described as “the lowest point in my career” this week.
“I was crying that day as well! For all the wrong reasons,” he said, referring to 2017. “That was a tough day for us, because we deserved to win that game. I always wanted to come back here and win with this club, and to do it as captain is just extra special.
“I felt so much pressure and responsibility today, like I have done all season. I’ve dreamt so many times about walking up those steps and collecting that trophy, so the feeling that I had when I did that was amazing.
