Southampton [UK], May 28 (ANI): Southampton's English winger Theo Walcott is set to leave the club after spending nearly three years with the club.

Walcott will leave Southampton as a free agent. The 34-year-old took to Twitter to announce his final appearance for the Saints on Sunday against Liverpool.

"Today marks my last appearance in a Saints shirt and I just wanted to say a huge thank you to everyone at @SouthamptonFC- it's a fantastic club with incredible people. I am really disappointed for the fans that we weren't able to stay in the Premier League this season, but I am certain the club will be back there again soon. Thanks to all of you for your support right back to my debut aged 16 years old. I would like to wish the team and fans every success for the future. My aim is to continue playing and I'm looking forward to the next challenge...," Walcott wrote in his tweet.

Southampton were relegated from the Premier League on May 14 for the first time since the 2004-05 season, after suffering a home defeat of the season against Fulham. Their star midfielder James Ward-Prowse reflected disappointment after coming short this season.

"It's disappointing but it's a moment that has been coming. We'd put ourselves in a difficult position and I thought we did well to take it to this stage of the season," said Ward-Prowse as quoted by Sky Sports.

"When these sorts of things happen, you go away individually and as a club and reflect on whether we did everything we could to achieve our goal. I don't think we have and that's a shame as I feel it is about having no regrets and leaving everything out there. Over the course of the season that has caught up with us. Ultimately, that's why we are where we are now," Prowse concluded.

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak who is also a Saints fan was spotted among the audience as the hosts' 11-season stay in the top flight ended on a bitter note. (ANI)