Southampton appoint Nathan Jones as new manager

The former Luton Town boss replaces Ralph Hasenhuttl at St Mary’s ahead of Saturday’s trip to Anfield to play Liverpool

Southampton have appointed Nathan Jones as their new manager.

Saints moved quickly to replace Ralph Hasenhuttl, who was sacked this week with the club languishing in the relegation zone.

The former Luton Town boss joins on a three-and-a-half year contract, with First Team Coaches Chris Cohen and Alan Sheehan joining him at the club.

“I’m really proud to be given this opportunity,” Jones said after joining Saints.

“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.”

Jones continued that he needed something “special” to lure him away from Kenilworth Road.

“It’s pretty amazing really. It’s been a whirlwind time, but I’m really proud to be given this opportunity at a wonderfully traditional football club,” he said.

“It had to be something specific, because Luton is a wonderful football club and everything there is geared towards success – the alignment from top to bottom – and that was the thing I felt is here as well. “I feel this is a real calculated club. 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. “There are certain things which are specific, of how they look and what they look for, things that we’ve been doing well at Luton that they want to implement here. “It’s always a gamble when you employ a manager, when you take a job at a football club, but for me this is one I’m excited about and really feel I can impact.”