Ralph Hasenhuttl said in an interview a week or so ago that he was looking for a new goalkeeping coach, with one rumoured to be about to arrive, what does this mean for the future of current holder of the role Dave Watson.

Rumour has been building that Saints are about to announce the arrival of Andrew Sparkes after a tweet from the 34 year old goalkeeping coach that he was about to leave his current job in South Africa for a new challenge in the UK.

Sparkes spent 5 years at Swansea City in goalkeeping coaching roles before moving to South Africa to perform the same role at Orlando Pirates and now it seems he could soon be at St Mary's.

The link to Ralph Hasenhuttl is certainly there as they have both worked for the Red Bull franchise in Europe — the former as manager of Leipzig and the latter as an U18 GK coach for Salzburg.

Saints current goalkeeping coach is Dave Watson who joined in 2014 in the shake up when Ronald Koeman became Saints manager and there has been no word on his position at the club, it has been suggested that Watson stepped into a more general coaching role to assist Ralph Hasenhuttl last season and that this may be the case going forward and that Watson's role will see him relinquish the goalkeeping duties in order to concentrate in other areas.

But it could also be that Watson is leaving St Mary;s and if that was the case a return to the England set up could be a possibility with Les Reed back in his old role at the FA as technical director.

But for the moment it looks like an announcement could be imminent and Andrew Sparkes could be the new man in the role.

Photo: Action Images

schatfield added 16:11 - Jun 26 Dave Watson seems to make goalkeepers regress
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halftimeorange added 20:10 - Jun 26 I haven't seen any Saints GK improve since Niemi - and he was good when we got him. They all lose their confidence sooner or later at St Marys.
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SaintBrock added 20:41 - Jun 26 I thought Boric was half decent until his nose was put out of joint. Watson has always struck me as having something of the night about him, never warmed to him
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SaintBrock added 20:45 - Jun 26 Mignolet has been the subject of some bid speculation today so maybe the scouse might yet be back in for Alex McCarthy?
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Braveheart added 20:04 - Jun 28 So why not adopt Kelvin into this role?
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