‘From what I’ve seen, heard and know of Will, he’ll be relishing that opportunity. It’s almost like, “What’s all the hype been about? Now I can show you”’ David Prutton on Will Still’s Southampton challenge

Reims manager Will Still on the touchline during a match

Saints moved to hire Will Still following their disasterous 2024/25 relegation campaign (Image credit: Jean Catuffe/Getty Images)

Southampton fans had to endure one of the most wretched top-flight seasons in recent memory last year.

Saints’ prize for beating Leeds United in the play-off final at Wembley in May 2024 was a gruelling Premier League campaign that brought about just two wins, a total of 12 points and three managers in the dugout.

After the earliest relegation in Premier League history, the club knew an almighty reset was in order ahead of their return to the Championship and that’s exactly what they’ve done.

Opportunity knocks for Will Still

Will Still during a match between Stade de Reims and Rennes in December 2022. — Still has managed at Reims and Lens in France (Image credit: Getty Images)

This reset involved hiring 32-year-old Will Still as the club’s new manager, as Southampton moved to give one of Europe’s most-talked-about young coaches - who was ranked at no.46 in FourFourTwo’s list of the best managers in the world earlier this summer - his first opportunity in English football.

Still’s coaching career began in Belgium, with a short caretaker stint in charge of Lierse in 2017, before taking over at Beerschot. He then moved to France and settled into roles at Reims and then Lens, before taking the opportunity to return to home soil earlier this summer.

Southampton have been atrocious all season long — Southampton claimed just 12 points last season (Image credit: Getty Images)

He arrives at St Mary’s with a lofty reputation, with his first job being to revitalise the relegated Saints.

And Sky Sports presenter David Prutton believes that Still has the type of personality to embrace this challenge and answer the naysayers who are questioning his lack of experience.

“There’s been media hype about him since a couple of years ago, when there was all that talk of Reims paying a fine of £22,000 every time he managed them, because he didn’t have his UEFA Pro Licence,” former Saints and Leeds United midfielder David Prutton tells FourFourTwo.

“ As a coach, he was the wonderkid. I’m sure there’ll be some Southampton fans who’ll have their arms folded and say: ‘Come on then, Will Still, let’s see what you’re made of and what all the hype is about.’

Lens coach Will Still looks on ahead of a pre-season friendly against Bayer Leverkusen in August 2024. — Still is one of the most respected young coaches in European football (Image credit: Getty Images)

“But from what I’ve seen, heard and know of Will, he’ll be relishing that opportunity. It’s almost like, ‘What’s all the hype been about? Now I can show you’.”

Southampton kick off their 2025/26 season with an eye-catching home clash against promoted Wrexham before they travel to fellow relegated side Ipswich Town.

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For more than a decade, Joe Mewis has worked in football journalism as a reporter and editor. Mewis has had stints at Mirror Football and LeedsLive among others and worked at FourFourTwo throughout Euro 2024, reporting on the tournament. In addition to his journalist work, Mewis is also the author of four football history books that include times on Leeds United and the England national team. Now working as a digital marketing coordinator at Harrogate Town, too, Mewis counts some of his best career moments as being in the iconic Spygate press conference under Marcelo Bielsa and seeing his beloved Leeds lift the Championship trophy during lockdown.

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