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By Emmanuel Adeleke
Southampton Football Club have confirmed the appointment of Nathan Jones as their new manager after the sacking of Ralph Hasenhuttl.
Jones, who left Luton to take charge of the Saints, signed a three-and-a-half-year deal with the Premier League club before watching their Carabao Cup penalty shootout victory over Sheffield on Wednesday.
He will be joined by coaches Chris Cohen and Alan Sheehan. It was learnt that a compensation package of around £2.5m will be paid to the Championship club.
The Welshman faces a daunting first game in charge at home to Liverpool on Saturday in Southampton’s last fixture before the World Cup.
Speaking on 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 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.”
Hasenhuttl, who was in charge for nearly four years, was sacked on Monday after Sunday’s 4-1 defeat by Newcastle.