SAINTS have named Mark Hughes their new manager, handing the vastly experienced boss a short-term contract until the end of the season.

Hughes brings with him his assistants Mark Bowen and Eddie Niedzwiecki and his task will now be to keep Saints in the Premier League with eight games remaining.

The 54-year-old will take charge of his first training session at Staplewood tomorrow to begin preparations ahead of Sunday’s FA Cup quarter final at Wigan Athletic.

Hughes, who played for the club from 1998 to 2000, replaces Mauricio Pellegrino, who was sacked on Monday night after a run of just one win in 17 league games.

Hughes said: “It's a challenge I'm excited by. It's a great opportunity to come back to a club I know well, and a club I've got real affinity with, and I couldn't turn that down.

"I bring experience of the Premier League. I understand what it takes in this league to win games. But first and foremost I think it's about coming in and maybe being that different voice, that different message from myself and the staff, that will enable the players to recognise and focus on what needs to be done in this key period of the season.

"The objective clearly is to remain in the league and make sure we're a Premier League club next year. That's where this club needs to be, that's where it should be, and that's our intention to make sure it remains there."

Bowen and  Niedzwiecki will take the roles of assistant manager and assistant First Team Coach respectively alongside existing first team assistant coach Kelvin Davis, goalkeeping coach Dave Watson and head of sports science Alek Gross.