Former Saints star Theo Walcott scored a memorable hat-trick in Zagreb this evening to seal an unlikely 4-1 win for England against Croatia.

Wayne Rooney scored the other England goal in a game that brought back memories of that night in Munich when Germany were on the wrong end of an English hiding, and it’s a result that ended Croatia’s 35-game unbeaten home record.

Walcott left Saints in January 2006 in a deal worth up to £12m, although Saints renegotiated some of the additional clauses of that deal at the end of last year in order to aid the cashflow crisis that has engulfed the club in the last 18 months.

Former Saints goalkeeper Antti Niemi has retired from professional football following a series of niggling injuries.

The Finn had been hoping to be fit to fight for a place in Fulham’s starting lineup this season before retiring next summer, but a wrist injury which would have forced him to sit out the next two months at least has prompted him to bring his retirement date forward.