Southampton: Tonda Eckert targets Premier League return for Saints after being appointed permanent boss

Tonda Eckert has targeted a promotion challenge after being appointed Southampton’s permanent head coach on a contract to 2027.

The Championship side have won four of their five games since the 32-year-old German took charge on an interim basis at the start of November.

That run has helped the team climb to 14th in the table, five points off the play-off places.

“I think that we’ve had a great start and now it is up to us to continue,” said Eckert.

“We go all in; there is no other way. I don’t shy away from being ambitious to say that we want to play for promotion, whatever that is going to look like in the end. We will go for every single point there is to take.”

Eckert had been Southampton’s under-21s head coach and took over the first team when Will Still was sacked after just five months in charge.

Southampton, relegated from the Premier League last season, made a poor start to this campaign.

But they won their first four games under Eckert, beating QPR, Sheffield Wednesday, Charlton and Leicester, before losing 3-2 at Millwall last Saturday.

Southampton technical director Johannes Spors said of Eckert: “His empathy for the playing group and the clarity with which he communicates his ideas have been central to the team’s improvement since he took charge.

“The great results he has achieved in that time, not just in terms of performances and points, but also in the way he has brought together players and supporters, has shown everyone what he is capable of achieving.”

Eckert has never previously had experience as a first-team manager but has been assistant manager at Barnsley and Genoa.