When chatter was rife that Tonda Eckert was going to be dismissed by Dragan Solak, one name that was floated about as a Eckert successor at Southampton was Adam Lallana.
Currently the manager of the Saints U21s, Lallana would've surely loved the responsibility of managing the main's men team, but Solak stuck by the controversial German, over pushing the much-loved Saints legend into the dug-out.
Several former Southampton players now occupy the managerial sidelines, with Kevin Phillips, who was once a feared marksman for the South Coast side, loving a non-league job, having recently managed AFC Fylde.
In a more glamorous turn of events, away from managing in the pits of the National League, Jose Fonte has been handed a Premier League coaching role, as another ex-Saints icon attempts to forge out a promising career from the sidelines, post his extensive playing days.
Fonte's coaching career
The 42-year-old is an instantly recognisable face to those of a St Mary's persuasion, having lined up a whopping 288 times for the South Coast team, with the Portuguese titan even playing for the Saints in League One.
Now, at that grand age, he's ready to embark on a coaching journey, having hung up his boots as Casa Pia at the close of the 2025/26 season.
Notably captain when he was lining up in Southampton red and white, it isn't a shock to see Fonte fancy his chances of becoming a manager one day.
After all, he was a authority figure on the South Coast, with his ex-Saints teammate Sadio Mane once noting that Fonte had a "real leader's character" on the pitch and in the dressing room.
Fonte will hope he can follow in Lallana's footsteps, who is another of his distinguished former colleagues at Southampton, in becoming a promising future manager.
He has been handed a phenomenal first venture into the coaching game, too, as he returns to the Premier League next season.
He will be coaching in the Premier League
The Premier League was where Fonte truly made a name for himself as a tough defender to face, with Ronald Koeman once noting that he was "very important" part to his team, as Southampton flirted with the top half of the league and beyond under the Dutchman.
He will begin to cut his teeth as a coach in the big time, as well, as he has just been announced as a brand new addition to Regis Le Bris' coaching set-up at Sunderland.
This is a wonderful first step into the different side of the beautiful game for the 42-year-old, as the Black Cats will be playing in the Europa League next season, after an unbelievable first season back in the promised land last campaign.
Noted as bringing a "wealth of experience as a player at the top level" by Sunderland director of football Florent Ghisolfi, the expectation will be that Fonte is a success behind the scenes, with the Frenchman further noting that he will inject a "tremendous energy" into proceedings.
Clearly widely respected, it will be interesting to see what Fonte's role entails on Wearside.
Down the line, he could even step up into becoming a main manager, with it not the wildest suggestion that Fonte might be a future Saints boss, if all goes to plan, as he is still held in high esteem on the South Coast.
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