The manager announced his decision to fans as he told them ‘I need to go home’
Top football manager Will Still has announced that he is leaving his job in France and returning to the UK to be closer to his Sky Sports presenter girlfriend Emma Saunders following her terrifying health battle.
The 32-year-old manager was appointed boss of Ligue 1 side Lens last summer and led them to an eighth-placed finish in the league, but confirmed after their final game of the season on Saturday that he would be leaving the club to return to England.
Still – who was born in Belgium to English parents but began his career in England – is now reportedly in talks to become the next manager of relegated Premier League side Southampton from next season.
However, the move has come about largely through Still’s motivation to be close to presenter and matchday reporter Saunders, who was placed in a coma earlier this year after being diagnosed with a brain infection.
She had already been treated for thyroid cancer at the beginning of the season, but a further health setback saw her hospitalised with encephalitis, an infection that causes inflammation of the brain.
Revealing the shock news on Instagram in March, Saunders shared a photo from hospital and wrote: “Hi folks. Unfortunately life took a bit of an unexpected turn a couple of weeks ago and I’m now off work while I recover from Encephalitis – an infection of the brain.
“I hope it wont be long until I’m back to see out the end of 2024/25 – especially after missing part of the start of the season before this when I was treated for Thyroid cancer”
She added: “So, as I spend time now recovering and rebuilding again – I just wanted to thank my family & friends for their rock solid support, my colleagues at Sky for their patience allowing me the time to heal, and our wonderful NHS for their extraordinary kindness and care. And of course you [Will Still] just for being you and being there for me.”
While Saunders has since recovered and joined Still at Saturday’s match – a 4-0 win over Monaco – the manager has made up his mind and revealed his departure to fans in an emotional post-match interview.
“I won’t be the coach of RC Lens next season,” he said. “It was the last season at Bollaert, for multiple reasons. The main reason that pushed me to make this decision is the fact that I need to go home. Everyone is well aware of what happened in my life. That’s why.
“I had a lot of fun, I think we achieved great things despite everything. I’ve been in France for four years, four years that I’ve experienced intense moments. The logical choice is that I get closer to my [partner] for her well-being too.”
After Saunders was hospitalised in March, Still stayed in France to watch his side seal a dramatic late win over Marseille, but admitted after the match that his mind had quite understandably been elsewhere.
“It’s tough,’ he told L’Equipe. ‘We realise that there are more important things in life than a football match or a shot that goes into the top corner. I was honest with the guys. My girlfriend was in a coma. We had to be with her, we had to take care of her. The group reacted admirably well.
“My girlfriend is stable, she’s fine,” he added. “That’s the most important thing. When I came back last Saturday, I knew she was in the best possible place to get treatment. I asked her the question openly: ‘Do I go, do I not go?’ She said to me: ‘You have to go.’
Still and Saunders – who has also worked for the BBC – went public with their relationship during Euro 2024 as photos of them in the stands at Wembley emerged on social media.
The manager went viral two years ago as he became the youngest manager in Europe’s top five leagues by taking charge of French side Reims at the age of 30.
