LIVE
...

Follow us on

New Southampton manager Will Still with mystery figure inset
Credit: Matt Watson/Southampton FC via Getty Images

News

Football fans are talking about Will Still once again after spotting ‘brilliant’ hidden detail in Southampton announcement

Billy Meyers
Billy Meyers

The popular Will Still is now part of English football after being appointed by Southampton.

After a woeful 2024/25 campaign – in which they finished bottom of the Premier League – the Saints have moved to hire the man born in Belgium, who has become something of an internet meme in recent years after fans learned about the involvement of the Football Manager game in his coaching journey.

Position Team Played MP Won W Drawn D Lost L For GF Against GA Diff GD Points Pts
18 LeicesterLeicester38 6 7 25 33 80 -47 25
19 IpswichIpswich38 4 10 24 36 82 -46 22
20 SouthamptonSouthampton38 2 6 30 26 86 -60 12

His playful name and unique route into football management has also been a source of fun for football fans online, as well as large brands such as Dominos.

Now, Still is still a viral figure as people spotted an interesting detail after Southampton announced his appointment.

Southampton tease supporters by drafting up fake Will Still contract

Southampton posted a photo of the 32-year-old seemingly putting pen to paper on his contract, leaving many curious fans to zoom in, eager to catch a glimpse of the terms written out.

However, that was exactly what Southampton wanted to happen. The Saints had actually constructed a fake contract, which read: “For those of you who have zoomed in on this contract, GOT YOU!

“Do you really think we’d disclose Will Still’s actual contract terms? Nice try, respect the hustle.”

One fan was left in hysterics after being tricked by Southampton, posting on X (previously known as Twitter): “Hahahaha!!! Brilliant.”

A second supporter echoed this praise of the clever post, writing “fair play” along with a couple of laughing emojis after seeing the image of Still – who is actually a West Ham fan.

A third fan added: “Haha love it. Top work admin.”

Southampton also used the bait to advertise season tickets for the 2025/26 campaign, so it was a smart way to draw attention from supporters inside and outside of the St Mary’s Stadium.

Elsewhere, a fourth fan wrote “now I feel stupid for falling for this” – also adding a couple of laughing emojis, having been got by Southampton.

Last but by no means least, two other football fans commented on the hidden detail in Southampton’s post.

One wrote: “I love what you did with the contract. That’s a great way to up sales (for) season tickets.”

The other added that Southampton “did” them by tricking them into reading the joke contract.

What Will Still has said about his use of Football Manager

The man born in Braine-l’Alleud was asked about the impact of Football Manager on his coaching career when appearing on Monday Night Football alongside Jamie Carragher and Dave Jones.

Still – who West Ham once considered hiring – actually seemed irritated by the tag, arguing: “The video game thing was like, one of those random interviews the club ask you to do, and they were like, did you ever play video games?

“I was like, of course I played video games, that was just part of my generation, and I just got branded (as) the football manager who learned it all on Football Manager. I thought, well, I have done a bit more than that!

“That was the story that sparked the attention, so I took it at the time, but then I got a bit bored of it as time went on.”