Southampton has still confirmed Will’s appointment as their new manager, in which the Englishman signed a three -year deal.
Still recently abandoned the French Zijlens and follows Ivan Juric, who left the saints in April after their relegation of the Premier League was confirmed.
The move comes after the 32-year-old announced last week that he returned to England to be closer to his partner Emma Saunders.
The couple was present at St Mary’s when Southampton Arsenal organized in their last game of the campaign and was still seen with Mikel Arteta.
Saunders – a presenter and matchday reporter for Sky Sports – was treated for thyroid cancer at the start of the current season and is now recovering from a brain infection called encephalitis.
Yet the youngest coach in Europe’s top five competitions, when he joined Ligue 1 Side Reims in October 2022, received rave reviews for the work he did during his early management career in Liense and Beerschot in Belgium and most recently at Reims and Lens in France.
Southampton has still confirmed Will’s appointment as their boss for a three -year -old deal
Still left the French side lens and succeeds Ivan Juric, who left the saints in April after relegation
Still and Saunders were present at St Mary’s and still shake hands with Mikel Arteta
Southampton will hope to bounce back from the championship next season in Still’s first season next season.
After drawing for the club, it still said: ‘There is a huge potential here and we have a great opportunity to do something special.
‘The project that is explained to me is very impressive and I believe that we can all build a clear identity and a very positive future for the team.
‘I would like to work this summer and start building a close -knit group that can make everyone proud and ultimately bring us back to where we belong; In the Premier League. ‘
Group Technical Director Johannes Spors added: ‘Will is a young, innovative manager who has already gained a lot of experience, and we have been very impressed by both his track record and our conversations with him.
‘What was very clear in our discussions was the clarity of his philosophy and the identity that he wants his teams to have, but also his willingness and ability to adapt to different situations when they present themselves, which will be an important quality in the championship next season.
“We were very impressed by his personality and his values, and we think he fits perfectly for the culture we want to build in Staplewood.”
Lens published a statement that still thanked for his ‘investment’ during his enchantment at the club and said that he ‘the values of RCL embodied by his resilience and his passionate and authentic personality’
The couple went to St Mary’s when Southampton took Arsenal in their last game of the season
The 32-year-old hope to return Southampton to the Premier League during their first go
Said he would leave Lens so that he could return to England and spend time with Saunders
They also confirmed that his brothers, Edward and Nicolas, will leave the club.
Has still won 55 of his 127 games as a manager and his record has one of the most appreciated young English managers who have been won there.
He has been associated with return to England in recent years and had come close to Sunderland last summer.
Southampton, who were also connected to Sheffield Wednesday boss Danny Rohl, were looking for a new manager since Ivan Juric was fired last month, with Simon Rusk for Interim costs for the rest of the campaign.
In the meantime, who explained his decision to leave Lens last week after their last match of the campaign – a 4-0 home victory on Monaco – still revealed that it was for personal reasons and said he should ‘go home’.
“It’s a logical choice for me to be closer to my wife,” said. “For her well -being.”
‘I will not be the RC Lens coach next season. It was the last season in Bollaert, for several reasons. The main reason that pushed me to make this decision is the fact that I have to go home. Everyone is well aware of what happened in my life. That’s why.
‘I had a lot of fun, I think we have achieved great things despite everything. I have been to France for four years, four years that I have experienced intense moments. ‘
Saunders had attended the last game and posted a photo next to her boyfriend on the field after the game with the caption: “Bravo @wrstill.”
Saunders was present at Still’s last game at Lens last Saturday – a 4-0 win over Monaco
Emma Saunders is a presenter and reporter for Sky Sports and recovers from illness
The new Southampton -Baas said it would leave France due to personal circumstances
Still viral a few years ago when he became the youngest manager at the age of 30 in Europe Top Five competitions such as the boss of Reims in France.
During his time at Reims, the club had to pay £ 22,000 every time he took the lead for a competition because he did not have UEFA Pro license.
His journey to coaching was partially inspired by his passion for the video game ‘Football Manager’, who encouraged him to change his playing career for management when he was 17.
On the other hand, his partner Saunders has been a big voice for the front of women’s football on BBC Sport, next to her work at Sky.
Seen as a pioneer for women’s broadcasts in sports and football, she also worked as a stadium presenter for large sporting events, including England Internationals, the World Cup, Six Nations Rugby Matches and the very first MLB game in the UK.
However, Saunders posted a photo on her Instagram account from her hospital bed in March, in which she explained her situation to her 71,500 followers and her English manager boyfriend thanked in a heart heating post. She started dating last year and the duo became public with their relationship during Euro 2024.
Southampton took on Arsenal at St Mary’s in their last match of the Premier League campaign
The saints are looking for a new manager since Ivan Juric’s firing last month
She held a filled giraffe teddy and opened her recent situation and fans and colleagues overrun the commentary with support messages.
The caption was: ‘Hello people. Unfortunately, life took a bit of an unexpected turn a few weeks ago and I am not working now while I restore encephalitis – an infection of the brain.
‘I hope it won’t be long before I get back to see the end of 2024/25 – especially after missing part of the start of the season before when I was treated for thyroid cancer.
‘So, while I now spent time recovering and re -built – I just wanted to thank my family and friends for their stone support, my colleagues at Sky for their patience so I had the time to heal, and our beautiful NHS for their extraordinary kindness and care. And of course you will still be just for you and be there for me. ‘
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