NIGEL Adkins has finally been appointed Saints' new manager, signing a three-year-deal with the club, the Daily Echo can reveal.

The 45-year-old completed his protracted switch from Scunthorpe tonight, after the two clubs at last agreed a compensation package.

Adkins, who succeeds Alan Pardew at St Mary's, will be joined by his trusted assistant, Andy Crosby, who is also making the move from Glanford Park.

Speaking tonight, Adkins said he was honoured to have been given the chance of managing the club.

"I am delighted to be the manager of Southampton," he said. "It’s a very proud honour for myself, and Andy Crosby, who is joining me as assistant manager, to join a club with such a big tradition.

"I’m very proud to have been given the opportunity by the chairman, Nicola Cortese, and look forward to taking the football club forward.

"I’m really looking forward to this fresh new challenge, and I’m very optimistic of where we can take this football club.

"We want to excite the supporters, because when this stadium is full I am sure there is a fantastic buzz around the place, so I hope the supporters are looking forward to watching their team go out and winning games of football in the right style."

Saints chairman Nicola Cortese said Adkins was the stand-out candidate among a huge number of contenders for the job.

"I am delighted to have been able to appoint Nigel as our new First Team Manager," said Cortese.

"We were inundated with applications from an impressive range of managers – a far cry from the position we found ourselves in when we last appointed a manager – and Nigel stood out from the start.

"He was at the forefront of my mind throughout the interview process, and the only manager that we offered the job to, so I am extremely happy that both Nigel and Andy have agreed to join us.

"What is clear from the excellence of the applicants is that the outside world is now beginning to acknowledge the quality of new thinking and ideas we are applying at Southampton.

"Nigel has a strong record of developing players and strong beliefs on how the game should be played, in a fast attacking style.

"He is clearly an extremely loyal, ambitious and committed man who is a very good communicator and mentor to players. I look forward to working with him."

Adkins has been with Scunthorpe for the last 14 years, starting out as the club's physio.

He was appointed manager four years ago and, in that time, has led the Iron to promotion out of League One twice.

Adkins is highly educated, with a sport psychology diploma, a business and finance diploma, a UEFA Pro coaching badge, a diploma in ‘applied management in professional football’ from Warwick Business School, and an honours degree in physiotherapy.