NATHAN Jones insists his side will have to be “at our best” to pick up a result against Brighton & Hove Albion, a club the Saints boss holds “close to my heart”.

Welshman Jones spent five years playing for the Seagulls in the early 2000s, making more than 150 appearances and helping them up from the Third Division into the Championship.

He later returned to the club in a coaching capacity, becoming assistant head coach in the summer of 2013 with Brighton still in the second tier. He eventually left to join Luton Town in January 2016.

Jones now prepares to face the Seagulls in his new capacity as Saints boss, in what will be his first home Premier League match in charge with Brighton heading to St Mary’s Stadium on Boxing Day.

“It’s a club close to my heart,” said Jones, discussing the upcoming contest.

“I played there for five years as a player at the Withdean Stadium and had a relatively successful time there with three promotions. I really enjoyed it, made some good friends and met some good people and built some sort of reputation there.

“Then I had the opportunity to go back as assistant manager to three managers and that gave me an education and a real kick in football.

“There were real, good people there that helped me along my way – people like Paul Barber, like Tony Bloom. They really helped me in my progression and it’s a club close to my heart. It won’t be on Boxing Day!

“But I am really fortunate in my time to have worked at some real, good football clubs with good people and Brighton is right up there.”

During his time at Brighton, Jones got his first taste in the managerial hotseat. He took charge on a caretaker basis in December 2014, following the departure of Hyypia.

Monday’s game will mark eight years to the day since his first game as a manager, helping Brighton recover from 2-0 down to draw with Reading.

”I remember it well,” said Jones.

“I didn’t have the best of starts again, we were 2-0 down after from an ex-Albion player (Glenn Murray).

“But we managed to come back and draw 2-2 and then the next fixture I took was Fulham and we won 2-0. So I managed to remain unbeaten as the Brighton manager, which gave me the taste for it.

“But I felt I was ready then. That gave me a real taste for being a manager and the education I had there working under Sami Hyypia, Oscar Garcia and then especially Chris Hughton taught me a lot about being a manager.

“It was invaluable experience, but come Boxing Day, I won’t be thinking too much about that.”

Discussing the currently incarnation of Brighton, who sit seventh in the Premier League under Roberto De Zerbi, Jones said: “They’re a fantastic side. They’re a real, good forward-thinking side that is difficult to play against.

“We’re going to have to be at our best to get anything, but this is the test we want.

“This is the test of Premier League football. We’re going to come up against some fantastic sides and Brighton are no different.”