12:57pm Friday 30th May 2008
By Adrian Kajumba
JAN Poortvliet has spoken of his pride at being named Saints' new head coach.
The Dutchman, who played in the 1978 World Cup final, was unveiled at a press conference at St Mary's this morning.
He will form a new four-man coaching team alongside his fellow countryman Mark Wotte, academy coach David Hockaday and reserve team boss Stewart Henderson.
After he was introduced to the local media by chairman Rupert Lowe, he said: "I'm very proud and it's an honour to be here at Southampton Football Club.
"I'm looking forward to starting and trying to produce and achieve something here.
"When I see everything here - the stadium and the training ground - I think this club belongs to the Premiership and I'm going to do everything for that."
Poortvliet said his first priority is to find out which players from the current squad will be going and who will remain in order for him to make up his own squad.
"My first priority is to make a team because a lot of players may be going," he said.
"I will have a special eye on the young kids to see if they are capable to play - and I think they are capable.
"They told me it's like swimming. You have to go into the pool before you learn to swim and I think to learn to play on the pitch, you have to learn how to play football at a high level."
Poortvliet insisted the current financial constraints on the club, which may affect if and how he will be able to spend in the summer, will not cause any problems.
"Financially that's not a problem," he said.
"You can only put 11 people on the pitch to start a game and use three subs and I think I will find the players to do that."
Poortvliet also spoke of his delight at being able to work with Wotte. He said: "I'm very happy with Mark. We did our education together. I haven't seen him much since because he trained with different clubs, but Mark has the experience. He trained with Den Haag, Willem II in the first division, FC Utrecht in the equivalent of the English Premiership, FC Den Bosch and the Dutch Under-21s.
"We see the players of that team (the Under-21s) in the Dutch national team - Van Persie, Kuyt, Van der Vaart, Sneijder - and I think it's an honour to have Mark beside me."
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