CHERRIES defender Jack Stacey has detailed the strengths of potential Saints manager Nathan Jones, sharing: “He was great personally in developing players”.

Sport Republic have wasted no time in chasing a successor to Ralph Hasenhuttl after parting ways with the Austrian Monday morning.

By Monday afternoon they had already received permission from Championship side Luton Town in order to discuss the vacant managerial role with Jones.

Stacey was signed by Jones during his second season in charge at Kenilworth Road, the right-back joining Luton in League Two and leaving for Cherries with the Hatters in the Championship.

He told BBC Radio Solent: "For me he was great personally in developing players and bringing them through.

"If you look at the job he has done at Luton, when he joined they were mid-table in League Two and he’s turned them into a top Championship side.

"They are really punching above their weight.

"In terms of man-management he was brilliant and his record on paper is very good. When he first signed me, he sat me down, we were in League Two at the time and he said ‘this is my two-year plan, this is the system we’re going to play.'

"'This is how I see you fitting in and in two years’ time we’re going to be in the Championship and you’ll be playing every game for us’.

"Everything he said came true and that was the belief he had in the players and the belief he had in the work he had done himself."

Welshman Jones is currently in his second spell at Kenilworth Road, returning to the Hatters after a brief foray at Stoke City.

Jones’ time with the Potters saw just five league wins in 35 games, with the former Brighton assistant manager arriving back at Luton in 2020 with nine games to save them from relegation to the League One.

Stacey insisted that his body of work with the Hatters more than made up for his stint at the Bet365 Stadium.

He restarted: "I definitely won’t judge him off Stoke. At that time Stoke were in a transitional period and as I’ve said, his Luton record speaks for itself."