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Southampton have appointed their under-21 coach Tonda Eckert as manager with a contract taking him through to 2027, the Championship club announced on Friday.
The 32-year-old German has changed the team’s fortunes since taking over as interim coach last month following Will Still’s dismissal, guiding them to four wins in five matches.
“I think that we’ve had a great start and now it is up to us to continue,” said Eckert. “We go all in; there is no other way. I don’t shy away from saying that we want to play for promotion,” Eckert said.
Southampton’s technical director, Johannes Spors, said Eckert’s “empathy for the playing group and the clarity with which he communicates his ideas have been central to the team’s improvement since he took charge”.
Eckert has never worked as a first-team manager but has been assistant manager at Barnsley and Genoa.
Southampton are 14th in the table with 24 points from 18 matches, five points off the playoff spots. They host eighth-placed Birmingham on Saturday.
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