Next Southampton manager: Luton boss Nathan Jones breaks silence on Saints talks

The Welshman will now hold talks with Southampton about becoming the Premier League club’s new boss in succession to Ralph Hasenhuttl.

“It is wonderful to be linked but nothing has been decided,” said Jones, who suffered a torrid 10 months in charge at the bet 365 Stadium after previously leaving Kenilworth Road.

“It is speculation. Everyone can ask me a million times but Southampton asked me in the right way, Luton have given me an opportunity to go and speak to them. That’s where we are.

“The players would have been unsettled by the speculation, but they are a great group. They want to do well and that’s probably why I have an opportunity tomorrow that they have given me.

“It is a club that is constantly on the up. We have improved year in, year out and we do it on a fraction of the budget of many other Championship clubs.

“It is a bottom-six budget and we are a top-six team. There are not six better teams in this league.

“And this club is bigger than me, it is bigger than the chief executive and bigger than any player.”

Of his time in the Potteries, Jones admitted: “It is a tough job because of certain things.

“But no-one worked more hours than me. I tried to build something, tried to unite the staff and change things from within.

“We did a lot of good things but what we didn’t do is get results and that is the be-all and end-all. Someone must get it right, you think.”

Nick Powell’s second of the season and a Tom Lockyer own goal put Stoke 2-0 up in 13 minutes and Jones said: “We just didn’t show enough quality because we had enough chances to get something out of the game.”

After Stoke’s first home win in four matches, manager Alex Neil said: “It is a welcome result and one we needed.

“The game was not great. I won’t be watching it back in a hurry.”