Saints coaching guru joins Lyons
Southampton under-18s coach Georges Prost is leaving to join French champions Lyons as academy director.
Prost has overseen the progress of players like Theo Walcott and Gareth Bale in his five years with Saints.
The 59-year-old beat throat cancer two years ago and is keen to return to France for personal reasons.
He told Saints website: "That put things into perspective and made me think, plus my wife wants to go back and Lyons are my home town club."
During his five years in charge of Saints u18s, Prost guided them to four divisional triumphs, a national play-off title and to the semi-finals and final of the FA Youth Cup.
Prost said: "This is my 28th season as a coach and in the past few years I have gbeen putting too much pressure on myself.
"I'm 59 now and I want to enjoy the rest of my life without pressure.
"Everything has linked together and fallen into place and I have to get my priorities right."
