Southampton appoint Still, 32, on three-year deal

Will Still, 32, has been appointed as Southampton’s new manager.

Ivan Juric, who left the club in April after being relegated from the Premier League with seven games to go, succeeds him.

Still revealed last week that he would leave his position with Ligue 1 side Lens in order to move back to the UK.

Still, who has a three-year contract, said, “We have a great opportunity to do something special.”

I think we can create a clear identity and a very positive future for the team because of the project that was presented to me.

I’m eager to start working this summer and creating a close-knit community that will inspire everyone and ultimately bring us back to our Premier League home.

Will is a young, creative manager with a lot of experience, according to group technical director Johannes Spors, who has already spoken to us several times. Both his track record and our interactions with him have impressed us greatly.

The clarity of his philosophy and the identity he wants his teams to have, as well as his willingness and ability to adapt to various circumstances as they emerge, which will be a key quality in the Championship next season, were immediately apparent in our discussions.

We think that he will be a great fit for the culture we’re trying to create at Staplewood, and we are very impressed by both his personality and values.

The Englishman was praised by Lens for his “investiture” during his time at the club, adding that his resilience and passionate and genuine personality embodied the values of RCL.

Edward and Nicolas Still’s brothers are both expected to leave the club, despite it is not yet known whether or not they will be joining him at Southampton.

Still established his football career at Beerse and Lierse before moving to France from his Belgian parents.

His interest in the video game Football Manager, which spurred him on to change his playing career to management at the age of 17, partially drove his transition into coaching.

He started out as a video analyst for Belgian club Sint-Truidense in 2014 after finishing his studies at Myerscough College in Lancashire. He now plays the game professionally for the first time.

When Reims, a Ligue 1 club, appointed him as the youngest coach in Europe’s top five leagues at the age of 30, in October 2022, he was 30 years old.