Relegated Southampton have parted ways with manager Ivan Juric after the Premier League side were relegated on Sunday in a 3-1 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.

The Croatian took over the post from Russell Martin in December, but was unable to turn around the club's fortunes, earning just four points in 14 games, seeing the Saints set a record for earliest relegation in the league's history.

Southampton currently have 10 points from 31 games this season, needing two more to avoid the worst points tally - currently held by Derby County - ever seen in England's top flight.

In a statement, Southampton said: "Unfortunately, we haven’t seen performances progress the way we had hoped, but we would like to thank Ivan and his staff for their honesty and hard work as they fought against the odds to try and keep us up.

"With relegation to the Championship now confirmed, we believe it is important to give fans, players and staff some clarity on the future as we head into a very important summer."



Simon Rusk, who took charge of a 0-0 away draw to Fulham at the end of last year, has taken over on an interim basis until the end of the season, with Adam Lallana assisting him.

Speaking about the search for a new boss, the club added: "The process of finding a new manager to lead us as we look to secure an immediate return to the Premier League has now begun and is being led by Group Technical Director Johannes Spors.

The Saints face Aston Villa on Saturday, in what will be Rusk's first home game in charge.