Southampton confirm appointment of new manager Claude Puel on three-year deal

Southampton have confirmed the appointment of new manager Claude Puel. The 54-year-old has signed a three-year contract on the south coast to succeed Ronald Koeman, who left the club to take over at Everton.

Former Aston Villa caretaker manager Eric Black also arrives at St Mary's as Puel's assistant manager while former Boulogne coach Pascal Plancque has been named the new first team coach. Puel, Southampton's third coach in three years, arrives on the south coast having spent his entire career as both a player and a manager in France.

The club's Executive Director of Football Les Reed said: "The process to appoint a new First Team Manager has been diligent and meticulous. In order to ensure we appointed a manager who would meet our needs as a club, feedback from the dressing room, as well as taking account of our culture, vision and values, was critical in drawing up our criteria for the appointment.

"As the process eliminated a number of excellent candidates, Claude clearly came out on top of a very impressive shortlist. We have not only got the best man, but the right coaching team to support him.

"Eric Black has an excellent pedigree as a coach and vast experience domestically and internationally. Pascal Plancque has an excellent record as a technical coach and, like Claude, has been responsible for developing many young French talents into top quality players."

Puel arrives in the Premier League following an impressive 2015-16 campaign with Nice where he guided the club to a fourth place finish. The 54-year-old has been in management for 17 years, winning a Ligue 1 title with Monaco before taking over at Lille in 2002 where he would spend the next six years.

His progress with the club saw him handed the Lyon job in 2008, where he led the club to their first ever Champions League semi-final in 2010, then going on to spend four seasons with Nice before departing in the summer.

Southampton have also announced Dave Watson has signed a new deal with the club to remain as part of Puel's backroom staff, while coach Sammy Lee has left the club.