Will Still set to finally land new managerial role months after being sacked by Southampton

Will Still is closing in on a return to management, exactly seven months after being sacked by Championship side Southampton.

Still was appointed at St Mary's Stadium last summer following successful spells in France's Ligue 1 with Reims and Lens.

The 33-year-old was tasked with securing an immediate return to the Premier League for Southampton after their relegation from the top flight.

But Still only won two of his 13 matches in charge, and the club decided to part company following a 2-0 defeat at home to Preston North End.

Saints were 21st in the Championship at the time of Still's departure, with his replacement Tonda Eckert ultimately guiding them to a fourth-placed finish before they were expelled from the play-offs over spygate.

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Still explained that cultural differences between English football and what he was used to in France were some of the reasons behind why he struggled at Southampton, as well as player behaviours and training styles.

He explained to The Overlap how the language barrier was also a hindrance: "I know this sounds stupid, because you listen to me now, and I'm fluent in English, and to other people, I am English, but I'm not.

"I was brought at home in English, spoke English at home. But the English language we use is quite family-based, and I've never been in a situation where I've had to talk to the press, or talk to a group of young man. Just because I've never been exposed to that.

"I almost felt like a foreigner, walking in to that environment. There was just such a massive difference culturally, in the style of football, the way the team is managed, the way the players behave, the way training is set up.

"I was kind of in an accelerated top-up course of, this is English. And ultimately, I just ran out of time."

Still set to land new managerial role

Still has been linked with numerous jobs since his Southampton departure, many of which are based in France.

He was named as a surprise candidate to replace Eric Ramsay as West Brom boss in February, but former Baggies midfielder James Morrison took over interim charge and was rewarded with the job on a permanent basis after keeping them in the Championship.

In the meantime, Still's brother, Ed, was appointed as Watford boss in February, but was himself sacked at the end of the Championship season after a run of eight matches without a win.

But Will Still is now set for a return to football management with Ligue 1 side AJ Auxerre.

That's according to French outlet Onze Mondial, who claim that talks between Still and the club are at a 'very advanced stage'.

It is claimed that Auxerre still have to finalise details surrounding the departure of managerial incumbent Christophe Pelissier.

Auxerre narrowly avoided relegation last season on their return to France's top division, finishing 15th and two points above the relegation play-offs.

Their squad contains a number of players with experience of English football, including former Crystal Palace midfielder Naouirou Ahamada, ex-Reading forward Danny Namaso and former Watford centre-back Francisco Sierralta.

Still has a win rate of 40.5 per cent in Ligue 1, and Auxerre will hope that will be more than enough experience to keep them in Ligue 1 for another season and even potentially push them further up the table.