LONDON: Southampton hired Nathan Jones as the manager on Thursday after he decided to leave the second-tier team, Luton.
The 49-year-old Welshman signed a three-and-a-half-year contract and replaces Ralph Hasenhuttl who was sacked on Monday.
Jones has a tough first game in charge against Liverpool at Anfield on Saturday before a six-week break for the World Cup.
"Southampton Football Club is delighted to announce it has appointed Nathan Jones as its new Men's First Team Manager," read a club statement.
Hasenhuttl was fired after the eighth loss in 14 league games, a 4-1 defeat against Newcastle on Sunday, leaving them languishing in the relegation zone.
Jones was in the second of his stints as Luton manager and led the team to the Championship playoffs last season.
"A lot of my family are Southampton fans, which doesn't half help," said Jones, 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 was named Championship manager of the season last term after taking Luton to the playoffs, where Huddersfield Town beat them in the semi-finals.
He returned to Luton in May 2020 and rebuilt his reputation saving them from relegation on the final day of the 2019-20 season.
(With inputs from AFP and AP)