Gary O’Neil in pole position for Southampton job after rejecting Premier League return | OneFootball

Gary O’Neil is reportedly in pole position to become Southampton’s new manager. 

The 42-year-old recently turned down the opportunity to return to Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Southampton sacked Will Still after a disastrous start to the Championship season. He won just two of his thirteen Championship matches in charge. 

The Saints announced his dismissal last weekend following the 2-0 home defeat against Preston North End. Youth team coach Tonda Eckert has been placed in interim charge.

According to The Telegraph, O’Neil is a strong contender for the Southampton job. The club are impressed with his previous work at Bournemouth and Wolves. 

O’Neil kept Bournemouth in the Premier League after taking over from Scott Parker for the 2022-23 campaign. 

Despite the success, the Cherries replaced him with Andoni Iraola. O’Neil joined Wolves and led them to a 14th-place finish in his first season. 

However, he was fired in December 2024 after a poor run of results left the club in the relegation zone. 

O’Neil rejected the opportunity to return to the Midlands, but a chance to manage Southampton could be appealing to him.