Will Still has announced he is leaving his role as manager of Lens to be closer to girlfriend Emma Saunders.
Still, 32, is set to depart the club after less than a year to move back to England with Saunders, a presenter and matchday reporter for Sky Sports.
Saunders attended Lens’ final game of the season on Saturday and posted a picture alongside her boyfriend on the pitch after the match with the caption: ‘Bravo @wrstill.’
She revealed in March that she had been treated for thyroid cancer at the start of the season and is now recovering from a brain infection called encephalitis.
Speaking after the match, 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.
Will Still is leaving his role as Lens manager to be closer to his girlfriend Emma Saunders
Still and Sunders have been dating since last year, going public with their relationship during Euro 2024
‘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.
‘The logical choice is that I get closer to my wife for her well-being too.’
Still, who has spent the majority of his coaching career outside of England, has been linked with clubs in the Premier League and the Championship.
‘I haven’t signed anything anywhere yet, even if there has always been interest,’ he added.
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.
Saunders revealed her health scare in a heartwarming post on Instagram in March
The Belgian-born coach is now set to move back to England to be with his girlfriend
She revealed in March that she has a brain infection after a battle with brain cancer
A number of colleagues and others in the industry flooded the comments section of her post to wish her well – pictured, Gary Neville
Still has been Lens manager since June 2024 but announced on Saturday that he is leaving
‘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.’
In her career, Saunders has also worked for the likes of BBC Sport, fronting women’s football on the channel 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.
Saunders began her broadcasting career on the student radio at the University of Southampton, and she soon joined the BBC’s reporting scheme with a placement in London before embarking on a post-graduate scheme and joining Watford on the club’s in-house channels.
She also became the first-ever female stadium announcer at a Premier League club in the process, and began working at both Sky and BBC as her career progressed.
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.
Aged 31 at the time, Still posted two photos of himself and Saunders during Euro 2024 alongside two emojis – one of a football and the other depicting a heart. Saunders was tagged in the post.
Still, born in Belgium to English parents, last month appeared as a special guest on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football.
