Southampton have finally confirmed the appointment of Nathan Jones as the club’s new manager following the exit of Ralph Hasenhuttl.
The Austrian was relieved of his duties in the aftermath of the defeat to Newcastle and left St Mary’s after just under four years at the helm. A number of names were linked with the post but former Luton boss Jones was immediately installed as the favourite - the Hatters previously confirming that they had granted permission for the Premier League side to open discussions with the 49-year-old.
Those talks appear to have progressed relatively smoothly with recent reports suggesting that a deal has been agreed - the Saints now confirming the move on a three-and-a-half year deal.
A club statement read: "Southampton Football Club is delighted to announce it has appointed Nathan Jones as its new Men’s First Team Manager.
"The 49-year-old joins from Luton Town, signing a three-and-a-half-year contract at St Mary’s, where he will also be joined by First Team Coaches Chris Cohen and Alan Sheehan.
"Jones takes over ahead of the Premier League trip to Liverpool this weekend, which will be followed by an extended period in which he can work with the squad during the World Cup break."
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Following his appointment, Jones opens his tenure as Southampton boss against Liverpool at the weekend and will hope to lift the club out of the relegation zone with at least a point. He has already seen his new side in action having attended the Saints’ EFL Cup clash with League One side Sheffield Wednesday in midweek.
Southampton only just squeezed past their visitors as they earned a 6-5 penalty shootout victory after a 1-1 draw in normal time to book their place in the last-16. Speaking about his appointment, Jones said: “I’m really proud to be given this opportunity.
“I know a lot about the club from back in the days of The Dell, to coming here to St Mary’s, and it’s a wonderful football club.
“A lot of my family are Southampton fans, which doesn’t half help, and I feel really, really proud to be given the opportunity, and I’m really looking forward to getting started.
“Obviously, I wanted to manage in the Premier League, I’ve dreamt of that since I’ve become a coach or a manager, but this club in particular – because of how it’s run, because of the structure, because of how they look deeper than just results – really appeals to me.”
