Both Shane Long and Ralph Hasenhuttl signed new deals to extend their stay at St Mary’s earlier this week. The boss penned a four-year contract on Tuesday, with the Irishman committing to an extra two years. And Long claims he’s feeling better than ever – especially with Hasenhuttl at the helm.
Shane Long said “I think since Ronald Koeman left we’ve been trying to find the right manager and find the right fit, and I’ve got that feeling coming back again, We’ve got the right manager and a group of players who are improving week by week, and I know the club wants to add to that and bring in more strength in depth. I can see the club pushing up the league, back to where we all want to be, and I want to be part of that. The manager is a big cause – he likes what I bring to the team and he likes how I play. As a player, that’s all you want. It’s a big relief for me. Obviously it’s not nice coming to the end of your contract with a family at home, not knowing where they’re going to be in the summer. It’s taken a while, with the pandemic going on, which is totally understandable. I’m just delighted to get it done. My family are very happy here. My kids have settled in school, my wife loves the area and personally I love the area.”