Saints Intern Caught Filming Boro From Behind Tree, Changed Clothes at Golf Club & Deleted LinkedIn in Cover-Up

The full farce of Southampton’s ‘Spygate’ scandal has been exposed after new details revealed the club’s intern was caught hiding behind a tree at Middlesbrough’s training ground — then scrambled to a golf club to change clothes and delete his LinkedIn profile.

Southampton’s covert operation unraveled ahead of last month’s Championship play-off semi-final. Head coach Tonda Eckert wanted to know if Boro’s influential midfielder Hayden Hackney was fit and available for the game. So the club booked flights and accommodation for a young intern and sent him north.

The intern was even shown drone footage of Boro’s Rockliffe Park training ground to plan his mission. Despite again “expressing concern” about being asked to spy on an opponent, he went.

From a spot behind a tree just outside the complex, the intern filmed three separate videos of Boro training and sent them to colleagues. The footage was passed straight to Eckert.

But the plan collapsed when he was spotted. Four people approached him. The intern “rapidly” moved away, but was caught and told to delete the footage — which he did on the spot.

Fearing Boro would uncover his identity, he then fled to a nearby golf club, changed his clothes, and deleted his LinkedIn profile in a desperate attempt to cover his tracks.

The incident triggered the EFL probe that saw Saints thrown out of the play-offs for gaining a sporting advantage. Eckert has since apologised: “I am responsible for everything that has happened at this football club.”

Owner Dragan Solak still backs Eckert, calling him “the man to take us forward” and insisting promotion is the “only objective.”

Yet the 39-page EFL report, plus Monday’s revelations of the “You legend. Manager loved it” text sent after the Oxford job, paint a picture of a systematic spying campaign using junior staff who felt they “didn’t have an option.”

With the EFL still weighing a points deduction and a ban for Eckert, Southampton’s summer promise to “take you out of your seats” at St Mary’s now comes with baggage no fan wanted.