Dan Harding chooses to sign for Eastleigh, saying he couldn't bring himself to sign for Pompey

Dan Harding upon signing with the Spitfires...

"Early on I had a few offers from different clubs, one being Portsmouth.

"Don’t get me wrong Portsmouth is a big club and I would imagine they are going to do very well this season, but I just couldn’t bring myself to do it.

"I had the best three years of my life at Saints and I still consider myself a fan. It would not have felt right for me to sign for them.

"I will never forget the career I have had and I am really proud of it. My memories of two promotions with Southampton were stuff dreams are made of.

"Not only for the whole experience but the squad of players we had over those years. As a player you couldn’t have asked for more and I am still close with lots of them now."




Full comments: http://www.eastleighfc.com/2015/08/06/eastleigh-sign-dan-harding/

(Pretty interesting comments on football, his career and his life - FWIW)


DTLW

 

Hilarious! Well done Dan.

 

What a man, what a star. More respect!

 

Good lad. If I recall, he'd been "released" by Ipswich when Alan Pardew signed him up. A good signing, and I got totally hacked off with his critics. Good luck to him; one of the "legends" that got us back to the Prem.

 

Heart breaking about his unborn daughters, here's hoping for a healthy birth for the other twin. Dan was a massive part of saints and should be fondly remembered by all saints fans.

 

I hadn't read this when I commented. Further enhances my view that in Dan Harding we had a decent human being in the squad. As you say, all best wishes to Dan and his wife at such a difficult time.

 

Always liked Dan Harding, good player for us in League 1 and the Championship and a player that clearly had a great relationship with the crowd?
He's gone up in my estimation even more now that he's chosen not to play for that mob down the M27?

 

Love Dan, one of my favourite players during our rise through the leagues. I only own one signed shirt, and that is the sash shirt with Dan's signature on the shoulder. Complete gentleman, committed professional and a thoroughly decent human being.

 

Love dan. Remember how mental he went when we went 1-0 up at Orient. Ryan dickson had done brilliantly to get a cross in to Rickie and Dan literally had Ryan in a headlock going mad.

 

Just brilliant. Well done Dan, now get the Spitfires into the Football League!

 

Its really nice when players decide things based on their careers rather than bank-balance, top bloke. Hope he has a cracking season.

 

By a mile the best left back in League 1 and probably wasn't far off being the best LB in the Championship before Fox took over. Great lad and a huge part of some of the best years supporting this wonderful club.

 

Always loved Dan Harding. Did a great job for us.

One of my all time favs.

 

I met Dan a couple of times and he was a really decent fella. My son had his photos taken with him and I then took it back another time I met him and had him sign it. He wasn't the brightest button in the box (and I wonder if maybe some managers couldn't get their message across to him and why since leaving is he hasn't really done anything) but he was a really decent young man. I liked him and wish him well. Particularly wish his family well reading what I have today.

Good luck Dan, history can never change that you were a part of our now famous rise.

 

Always loved Dan...huge memories of him in our promotion years.

P.s. And a gent....didn't slag Pompey off...just said he couldn't do it.

 

Good, we wouldn't want any player who's that unprofessional and lacking in ambition

 

Uh, really Pomps?

Would you criticise someone who identifies as a Portsmouth fan for turning down Southampton?

And really, Pompey don't condone/encourage unprofessionalism? Arf arf.

 

A silly rivalry wouldn't come into the heads of a true professional when they're deciding upon a club, especially when there's a choice of playing in the football league or non-league. There are several Portsmouth Ladies players who are Southampton fans (no accounting for taste...) but they get on with it and act professionally about it, doing their best for the team regardless of their personal feelings.

 

Good for them.

I don't think Dan Harding 'needs' the money, so he can do what he likes. If only more pros like DH dropped into the non-league structure and took on coaching responsibilities too.

 

Dan Harding cares about what Saints fans think as he identifies with us...good on him. I don't find that unprofessional at all and (as I said) he didn't slag Pompey off.