Southampton legends Matthew Le Tissier and Francis Benali were left out in the cold during former director Nicola Cortese's regime, but Saints chairman Ralph Krueger has welcomed the pair back with open arms, saying the fans' favourites epitomise the kind of dedication the club needs to reignite loyalty.
Cortese played an integral role in the now-deceased Markus Liebherr's takeover of the debt-ridden south coast club in 2009 -- a time in which Le Tissier was part of a rival bid by Pinnacle Group.
The relationship between the pair was strained right up until the divisive executive chairman's departure in January, while Benali, another popular ex-player, was banned from St Mary's for several years during a legal dispute with the Italian.
However, both have been welcomed back under the new regime, with Benali cheered into the stadium at halftime of Saturday's 4-0 win against Newcastle as he completed a 21-day, 1,000-mile run to raise money for Cancer Research UK.
Krueger spent some of the final day running alongside the former left-back, while the match saw Le Tissier return to the directors' box for the first time in many years -- the kind of respect the Saints chairman believes is deserved for players he wants the current squad to use as role models.
"It has been really natural from the first day I met Matt a few months into the new year," said Krueger, who was brought to the club earlier this year by owner Katharina Liebherr. "It was February or March we came together and it was just natural. He fits the values that we want to exude here with the Saints and the line we want to go on.
"He has been wonderful in the background, just as a supporter of the difficult summer we had and somebody I can sound board off once in a while -- discussions outside the inner circle. He is a trusted friend already of the club and we were honoured to have him in the directors' box.
"It is something we want to make sure makes up the expectations of players that are here -- where we learn from this summer and try to work with the experience of players from the past to reignite that kind of loyalty and passion for a one-club lifestyle.
"That is not going to be possible to do with all players but [it will help] certainly using players like that as an example, to say look what life is giving back to them after what they did for Southampton. They are so respected in the community, I can see the support they get around here.
"It is nice to see those stories but it is a different football world today. We know that, but we would like to still tap into what their experiences were."
Southampton's respect for the past will also see an announcement made soon about a lasting tribute to late owner Liebherr, who passed away in August 2010 -- just over a year after saving the club from potential liquidation.
"I can't tell you what it is, but something's in the works," Krueger said, speaking at club partner Sunseeker's stand at the Southampton Boat Show. "The respect for Markus and the legacy that needs to live on here and Katharina is of course adamant about that. It is clear for all of us that there was a turning point in the club in 2009 and we need to keep that in mind and we will. People will see that in the near future."