Southampton Football Club has announced the appointment of former Swansea City head coach Russell Martin as the new “captain” for the upcoming season in the Championship, following their relegation.
The 37-year-old manager has signed a three-year contract with the St Mary’s-based team to replace Nathan Jones, who was sacked in February.
Jones, 50, was relieved of his duties after just 14 matches in charge, with Ruben Selles taking on the interim manager role until the end of the season. However, Selles failed to convince the Southampton board, leading to Martin’s official appointment to fill the vacancy left by Jones.
Known for his brave and possession-based playing style, Martin guided Swansea City to a 10th-place finish in the previous Championship season. He spent two seasons at Liberty Stadium after leaving MK Dons to take on the role of head coach in the Welsh club.
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Upon arriving at St Mary’s, Martin stated, “It is a great honor to be given this opportunity at Southampton, a club with a long and rich history. My goal is to bring this club back to where it belongs – the top tier of English football.”
“I am ready for this challenge and will dedicate everything to achieve the objective and provide the fans with a team they can be proud of. I am delighted to be here and cannot wait to get started.”
Director of Football Jason Wilcox added, “Russell has demonstrated outstanding qualities throughout his coaching career so far, and he is someone we believe will thrive in the fantastic environment we have here at Southampton. He is a perfect fit for what we are trying to achieve, with a strong track record in developing and nurturing young players, unlocking their potential, and delivering on-field success. We are eagerly looking forward to Russell starting work with the team at Staplewood as we enter the new season.”
Martin will lead Southampton in their first return to the Championship since the 2011/12 season. Their 11-year Premier League tenure came to an end after a lackluster campaign, finishing bottom of the table with 25 points. The Saints managed to win only six matches throughout the season, two of which were under Jones’ predecessor, Ralph Hasenhuttl, who was dismissed before the 2022 World Cup.
Meanwhile, Swansea is eyeing Barnsley’s head coach, Michael Duff, as Martin’s replacement. The 45-year-old Duff guided The Tykes to a fourth-place finish in League One last season, while also helping his former club, Cheltenham, secure promotion from League Two.
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