Will Still is close to being appointed the new manager of Southampton, according to a report.
The 32-year-old announced on Saturday that he is leaving his role as manager of French club Lens to move back to England and be closer to his partner Emma Saunders.
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.
Saunders attended Lens’ final game of the season on Saturday – a 4-0 home win over Monaco – and posted a picture alongside her boyfriend on the pitch after the match with the caption: ‘Bravo @wrstill.’
Still explained after the game that his decision to leave Lens was due to personal reasons, and that he ‘needed to go home’.
Now, he is set to be announced as the new boss of Premier League basement side Southampton, with the Athletic reporting that talks between the two parties are at an advanced stage and progressing well.
Will Still is close to being appointed as the new manager of Southampton, according to a report
Still has left his role at Lens so he could return to England and spend time with his partner
Emma Saunders – a presenter and matchday reporter for Sky Sports – is recovering from a brain infection after a cancer battle
Southampton are understood to have also been interested in appointing Sheffield Wednesday’s Danny Rohl, but have instead opted for Still to lead their return charge in the Championship next season.
If talks continue to impress, there is a chance he could be in the stands for the club’s final game of the season against Arsenal this week.
Russell Martin oversaw Southampton’s nightmare start to the season before he was promptly swapped for Ivan Juric in hopes of turning their fortunes around. But the Croatian boss failed to do so, only lasting 107 days in the role before he was let go.
Simon Rusk was appointed as interim manager for Southampton’s remaining seven fixtures of the season, assisted by former player Adam Lallana.
Still went viral a matter of years ago when he became the youngest manager in Europe’s top five leagues as the boss of Reims in France at the age of 30.
His journey into coaching was partly inspired by his passion for the video game ‘Football Manager’, which encouraged him to switch his playing career for management when he was 17.
On the other hand, his partner Saunders has been a big voice for fronting women’s football on BBC Sport, alongside her work at Sky.
Seen as a trailblazer for women’s broadcasting in sport and football, she’s also worked as a stadium presenter for major sporting events including England internationals, the World Cup, Six Nations Rugby matches, and the first-ever MLB game in the UK.
Still revealed he would be leaving France to return to England due to personal circumstances
Saunders was in attendance to watch Still’s final game at Lens in Ligue 1 on Saturday – a 4-0 win over Monaco
Saunders revealed this year she had been battling the illness and thanked Still for his support
Southampton have been looking for a new manager since sacking Ivan Juric last month
‘It is a logical choice for me to be closer to my wife,’ Still said upon announcing his departure from Lens. ‘For her well-being.’
Speaking after the match, meanwhile, an emotional Still said: ‘I won’t be the coach of RC Lens next season.
‘It was the last season at Bollaert, for multiple reasons. The main reason that pushed me to make this decision is the fact that I need 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 achieved great things despite everything. I’ve been in France for four years, four years that I’ve experienced intense moments.
Saunders posted a picture to her Instagram account from her hospital bed in March, explaining her situation to her 71,500 followers and thanking her English manager boyfriend in a heartwarming post. She began dating Still last year and the duo went public with their relationship during Euro 2024.
Holding a stuffed giraffe teddy, she went onto open up on her recent condition and fans and colleagues flooded the comments section with messages of support.
The caption read: ‘Hi folks. Unfortunately life took a bit of an unexpected turn a couple of weeks ago and I’m now off work while I recover from Encephalitis – an infection of the brain.
‘I hope it wont be long until I’m back to see out the end of 2024/25 – especially after missing part of the start of the season before this when I was treated for Thyroid cancer.
‘So, as I spend time now recovering and rebuilding again – I just wanted to thank my family & friends for their rock solid support, my colleagues at Sky for their patience allowing me the time to heal, and our wonderful NHS for their extraordinary kindness and care. And of course you Will Still just for being you & being there for me.’
