REFEREE Mark Clattenburg, who will mainly be remembered by Saints fans for his famous run in with Adam Lallana, is leaving the Premier League to take up a role with the Saudi Arabian Football Federation.

Saints made a complaint about Clattenburg in December 2013, stating that the 41-year-old had insulted then captain Lallana during a 2-1 defeat at Everton.

The club claimed that Clattenburg had said: "You are very different now, since you've played for England - you never used to be like this."

No further action was taken over the incident, a decision which angered Saints at the time.

Clattenburg had waved away two appeals for a late penalty, with one incident involving the England midfielder at Goodison Park, which sparked the controversy.

The referee is widely considered one of the best officials in football, having taken charge of a string of high profile games, including the Euro 2016 final, the Champions League final and the FA Cup final last season.

Clattenburg, who has previously said he’d consider officiating in China, is expected to leave his role prior to the next round of Premier League fixture which starts on February 25.