5:10am Friday 17th July 2009
Exclusive By Adam Leitch
Alan Pardew has been appointed as the new Saints manager on a three-year contract.
The former Reading, West Ham and Charlton boss, who turns 48 tomorrow, was in talks late last night ahead of becoming Markus Liebherr’s first manager at St Mary’s.
Pardew said: "I am proud and very excited to be joining a club with an immense history and huge potential for improvement.
"Everything is here in terms of quality of stadium, training facilities and now financial stability.
"I look forward to working with the squad and with the executive management as part of a team committed to achieving progress.
"Of course, I will bring my own style of football management to the club, but as part of a plan being evolved at the club to achieve long-term success."
Liebherr said: "We are delighted to have been able to attract Alan to St Mary's from a very strong field of candidates we identified and who expressed an interest in joining us.
"Alan has a strong track record and impressed us with his vision, commitment and ambition.
"We look forward to working with him."
Pardew has already achieved two promotions in his managerial career – with Reading and West Ham – and also led the Hammers to a dramatic FA Cup final defeat on penalties against Liverpool in 2006.
He has also taken both the Royals and the Hammers to play-off finals, losing in 2001 and 2004 respectively.
The former Crystal Palace player could meet the squad today and will be at St Mary’s watching from the stands for tomorrow’s pre-season friendly with Ajax – alongside Liebherr, who is paying his first visit since buying the club.
Stewart Henderson will continue as caretaker boss to oversee the Ajax game with Pardew set to start work with his new charges on Monday.
Pardew is Saints' 15th manager in as many years and succeeds Mark Wotte, who was sacked last Thursday a day after Liebherr's takeover of the club was completed.
Saints' ticket office will stay open late tonight until 8pm because of the expected rush for tickets for tomorrow's Ted Bates Trophy game following news of Pardew's imminent arrival.
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