Southampton Football Club is pleased to announce that it has appointed Alan Pardew as First Team Manager for an initial term of 3 seasons.

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The appointment follows an intense, but thorough search for a new First Team Manager who fits both with the demanding technical and track record criteria set by the Club, and who will be able to blend with the overall on and off-field strategy being developed by the new owner, Markus Liebherr, and his team.

Alan Pardew has a Premiership, Championship (and Division One) and Division Two managerial track record and was manager of West Ham United, Charlton Athletic and Reading. He gained promotion for West Ham United into the Premiership and led them to the epic FA Cup Final against Liverpool in 2006. He took Reading from Division Two to Division One. His 48th birthday is tomorrow.

Alan Pardew commented: "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."

Markus 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."