BURNLEY left-back Danny Fox has joined Southampton for £1.8million.

After losing Chris Eagles and Tyrone Mears to Bolton Wanderers, and Martin Paterson to a recurrence of the thigh injury which kept him out for much of last season, manager Eddie Howe’s rebuilding project has intensified with the new season just days old.

Fox was linked with a move to Saints at the weekend in a proposed joint £4million deal with striker Jay Rodriguez.

But while the Clarets have managed to hang on to their number nine, they were unable to resist the move for Fox, despite the 25-year-old still having two years remaining on his contract.

Fox arrived on a three-and-a-half year deal from Celtic in January 2010.

He has signed a four-year contract with Southampton, where he links up again with former Claret loanee Jack Cork.

Fox told the Saints official website: "I'm made up to be here, and for a club as big as Southampton to be interested in me is very flattering.

"The first I heard of it was yesterday afternoon. I played 120 minutes for Burnley on Tuesday night against Burton Albion, and I was going to be heading to training there this morning, but I couldn't get down here quick enough to be honest.

"I drove down here with my dad last night, and it's been a bit of a whirlwind, but I'm delighted to be here.

"As soon as I found out of the interest I spoke to Jack Cork who was on loan at Burnley last year, and he couldn't speak highly enough of the club and of the manager and the players too.

"There's a good squad here, and I think it's very together at the same time, which I think bodes well for us to have a good season.

"It's about the size of the club as well. It's a Premier League club in the Championship.

"The chairman's got ambitions which match mine and I want to be a part of something special here."

Click on the link below for the view from Southampton on the Daily Echo website.