Former Wanderers Adam Armstrong scored the goal that took Southampton into the Premier League after a 1-0 win over Leeds at Wembley.
Armstrong struck midway through the first half and the Saints returned to the top division under Russell Martin.
The 27-year-old kept a cool head and shot past Illan Meslier after Will Smallbone had played him free on goal.
Dan James hit the crossbar in the closing stages and Southampton survived a nerve-wracking finish with almost 12 minutes of stoppage time.
After the final whistle, Armstrong told Sky Sports: “I don’t know what to say. Look at this.”
“I’ve been working on this all year. We knew how good the championship was this year. What a way to win, what a way to get promoted.”
Looking back on his winning goal, he added: “I saw the space behind, Will won the ball back. I knew if I hit it flat and hard in front of the goal, it would go in, so it was a beautiful goal.”
“That means everything. The boss and his team came in pre-season, put the mortar on the floor, what they wanted, and look at this.
“That’s why we’re footballers. We want to be part of the biggest games. What a way to win.”
Armstrong finished the season as Saints’ top scorer, scoring 24 goals in 52 games in all competitions.
The attacker spent a period on loan at Wanderers during the 2017/18 season, scoring three goals in the first half of the campaign before being recalled by Newcastle and sent to north-western neighbours Blackburn.
The following summer, he moved permanently to Ewood Park and spent three successful years in East Lancashire before being signed by Southampton in 2021.
