Southampton have appointed Ruben Selles as their new permanent manager on a short-term deal until the end of the season.
The Spaniard will succeed Nathan Jones, who was sacked earlier this month after just 95 days after a dismal run of nine losses in 14 matches left the Saints sitting rock bottom of the Premier League table.
Several names were linked with the vacant post, including most notably former Leeds head coach Jesse Marsch, but Southampton have now decided to promote from within as caretaker Selles is trusted to lead their relegation fight.
“Southampton Football Club can today confirm that Ruben Selles has been appointed as Men’s First Team Manager until the end of the 2022/23 season,” the club said in a short statement on Friday morning.
The 39-year-old, who has also worked in Spain, Russia, Norway, Denmark, Greece and Azerbaijan during a well-travelled coaching career, initially arrived on the south coast last summer as an assistant to Ralph Hasenhuttl, who was sacked after nearly four years at the helm in November.
He took caretaker charge of the team in a Carabao Cup tie against Sheffield Wednesday, which Southampton won on penalties, and stayed as first team lead coach during the short-lived, chaotic reign of former Luton boss Jones.
Selles was in the dugout again last weekend as James Ward-Prowse’s brilliant first-half free-kick secured a crucial 1-0 win against struggling Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
Southampton still sit at the foot of the table after 23 games this term, but are only three points adrift of safety now with a big six-pointer to come against fellow relegation battlers Leeds at Elland Road on Saturday.
They will also be favourites to reach the quarter-finals of the FA Cup as they host fourth-tier Grimsby Town in the fifth round on March 1 before further top-flight meetings with Leicester, Manchester United, Brentford and Tottenham.
