Southampton-linked Graham Potter has spoken out on his future and says he is now ready to return to management, while talking on the Planet Premier League podcast.

The 49-year-old has been without a job since being sacked by Chelsea 18 months ago, but now appears ready to return to the dugout.

The former Brighton boss had been linked with the England job – which has recently been given to Thomas Tuchel instead – and Football Insider reported last month that he was being lined up by Sport Republic to replace the under-pressure Russell Martin at St Mary’s.

Saints have begun the Premier League campaign with one point from eight matches and they are only off the bottom of the table on goal difference from Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Southampton have won just two of their 10 games across all competitions so far.

Martin’s latest setback came at the weekend when his side led fellow strugglers Leicester City 2-0 at half-time, before a red card for Ryan Fraser and a 98th-minute winner at St Mary’s saw Steve Cooper’s men dramatically take all three points back to the east Midlands.

It doesn’t get any easier for Southampton as they travel to Manchester City this weekend, with the back-to-back clashes against Everton and Wolves to follow looking like they could determine Martin’s future.

Should Martin be sacked, Potter would certainly be a popular candidate among the fanbase – especially given he also had a short spell playing for them in the 1990s.

Asked if he thought he was ready to return on the Planet Premier League podcast, Potter said:

“I do. I think the time I’ve had has been amazing. I had 12-13 years of non-stop football, coaching, managing, so from the fourth tier in Swedish football to the last eight in the Champions League with Chelsea.

“That doesn’t come for free in terms of how much you have to devote and how much you have to sacrifice for that, especially when you’ve got a young family.

“So to be able to have the time to spend with them, to reconnect with them, to sort of get a bit of energy and reflect and look back on the 12 years and think, ‘Okay, what went well, and what can I improve? And what do I need to do? And what do I want the next 12 years to look like’.”

While things didn’t go to plan for Potter at Chelsea he made a huge impact at Brighton prior to his switch to Stamford Bridge, and his appointment would be seen as a huge coup for Sport Republic.

Convincing him to come to St Mary’s could be difficult though, with the south coast outfit looking to already be up against it in terms of surviving in the Premier League this term.