British media: Southampton considers appointing 32-year-old interim coach Toda Eckert as new head coach

According to British media talkSPORT, Southampton is seriously considering appointing interim coach Toda Eckert as their new head coach.

The 32-year-old Eckert has won the two games he has commanded since taking over from William Steele. His previous top roles were as assistant coach at Barnsley and Genoa.

Gary O'Neill had been considered one of the candidates for the position, and it is understood that players and staff have welcomed the return of Russell Martin. The club's hierarchy have long admired Lampard, but he is currently in charge at Coventry City. Stoke City's Mark Robins is also a high-scoring candidate in a data-driven recruitment model.

However, interim head coach Toda Eckert will be officially appointed as full-time head coach.

Steele coached English football for the first time after leaving Lens in May this year. When Steele was sacked, Southampton were 21st in the Championship, just three points above the relegation zone. They won just two of their 13 league games last season after being relegated from the Premier League.

Since Eckert's promotion from the U21 team, Southampton has climbed to 17th in the standings. Back-to-back wins over QPR and Sheffield Wednesday gave them a much-needed boost. Now they are just seven points away from the promotion play-offs.

Their next game will be against Charlton on November 22 after the international break.