Southampton have appointed Luton Town manager Nathan Jones as their new head coach.

The Welshman has signed a three-and-a-half-year contract with the Saints and will replace Ralph Hasenhuttl, who was sacked following a 4-1 loss at Newcastle on Sunday.

Southampton said the 49-year-old will be joined by First Team Coaches Chris Cohen and Alan Sheehan.

The former Brighton & Hove Albion player was Luton’s head coach between 2016 and 2019, guiding the Hatters to promotion from League Two in the 2017/2018 season.

He left for Stoke City in January 2019 and was sacked in November of the same year after winning just two out of the 14 matches of the 2019/20 season.

He returned to Luton Town in May 2020 and guided the team to the Championship play-offs last season, losing 2-1 to Huddersfield Town in the play-off semi-finals and receiving the Championship Manager of the Year Award.

Luton are currently eighth in the Championship table with seven wins, eight draws, and four losses in nineteen matches.

On joining Southampton, Jones said: “I know a lot about the club from back in the days of The Dell, to coming here to St Mary’s, and it’s a wonderful football club.

“A lot of my family are Southampton fans, which doesn’t half help, and I feel really, really proud to be given the opportunity, and I’m really looking forward to getting started.

“Obviously, I wanted to manage in the Premier League, I’ve dreamt of that since I’ve become a coach or a manager, but this club in particular – because of how it’s run, because of the structure, because of how they look deeper than just results – really appeals to me.”

Southampton sacked Hasenhuttl on Monday following their 4-1 loss to Newcastle. The Austrian managed a total of 173 matches with 60 wins, 75 losses and 38 draws.

Nathan Jones first match in-charge will be on Saturday against Liverpool at Anfield.