A regional daily has launched a new digital-only sports title offering exclusive content to paying subscribers.

The Southern Daily Echo has announced the launch of Saintsplus, which will cover Southampton Football Club “in the most creative and interesting ways possible”.

The online-only title will be available exclusively to digital subscribers of the Echo paying £4.99 per month or a £52 annual fee.

Match reports, regular interviews and transfer news relating to the club, nicknamed ‘The Saints’, will remain free to read on the Echo’s website.

The Southampton-based daily has recruited Reading Chronicle sports journalist Benjy Nurick, pictured, to spearhead Saintsplus, which will launch on Monday.

In a letter to Echo readers, Benjy wrote: “Saintsplus will do everything imaginable – and I really mean everything – to bring you Southampton coverage on a deeper level than ever before told in the most creative ways possible.

“Saintsplus – with access for subscribers only – will be full of tactical analysis, interviews, features and all the intangibles you could list: the joy, the creativity and of course, the passion.

“When it gets difficult, we will continue with even more energy than before. This unrelenting passion is how you follow Southampton and it’s only right that we bring the same energy to our coverage.

“I’ve been blessed with the time, resources and support to make sure this is possible.”

Echo editor Ben Fishwick told readers: “Saintsplus will feature the very best tactical analysis, opinion, features and much, much more.

“The Echo has been covering Southampton FC for decades and is the trusted place for coverage. Now this new home for Saints fans goes far beyond the up-to-the-minute match reports and player interviews we regularly bring you at the Daily Echo.

“Saintsplus will go into detail analysing the tactical nuances of each Southampton performance – and the season as a whole – to make sure every angle is covered.

“These insights will be brought to you in the most creative and interesting ways possible, giving you the deepest of dives into Southampton FC.”

The launch of Saintsplus comes after Echo publisher Newsquest set up two Scottish football-specific titles, The Celtic Way and Rangers Review, for digital subscribers last year.

Benjy will be replaced as the Chronicle’s Reading FC reporter by James Earnshaw, currently a community reporter at the Berkshire weekly.

Southampton player Oriol Romeu has also lent his backing to a campaign by the Echo and Newsquest that has raised £25,000 for the Red Cross DEC Ukraine Humanitarian appeal in just two weeks.

Mr Romeu said: “I’m supporting the Daily Echo’s There with Ukraine campaign because it’s a moment where we all have to stand together, help each other and they need us right now, so hopefully we can get as many things together and give them good help.

“It’s a moment that no one expected and you just feel that people from Ukraine are being treated unfairly – being kicked out from their country and having to move somewhere else.

“It’s a moment that now we’re luckily in a better position so we can help them – we’ve got to do it.”