Southampton appoint Burley-Woodward dream team

Former Hearts manager George Burley is taking over as head coach of second division Southampton, with former England rugby supremo Clive Woodward becoming director of football.

"In George and Clive we have got a management team of undoubted quality with strengths in complementary areas, who share the same vision and give us the best chance of returning to the Premier League in the shortest possible time," chairman Rupert Lowe told the club's website.

Former Scotland defender Burley, 49, who has also managed Ipswich and Derby, succeeds Harry Redknapp who returned to Portsmouth this month after spending a year with their arch-rivals on the south coast.

"I am very pleased to come on board and I am looking forward to taking my first game at Watford on Boxing Day," said Burley, who quit Hearts in surprise circumstances in October with the club top of the Scottish Premier League.

"Southampton have an exciting young team and I believe that they should, and can, be much higher in the table than they are. Clive and I have had detailed discussions on how we will work together and I'm excited at the prospect."

Saints occupy 12th place in the 24-team second division following their relegation last season.

Woodward, 49, who led England to their 2003 rugby World Cup triumph, joined Southampton as technical director before the start of the season, his first job in football.

"George is the right appointment for the club," said Woodward. "As head coach he will have complete control of team selection, tactics and coaching issues and I will concentrate on strategic issues that affect the club in less obvious but equally important ways."

O Rangers signed the Scottish Premier League's top scorer Kris Boyd from Kilmarnock on Thursday night. The Glasgow giants agreed a three-and-a-half year deal with the striker, who has hit nine league goals this season. "Kris is a young player with great potential and we have been monitoring his progress over the last couple of years," Rangers manager Alex McLeish told the club's website. The 22-year-old Boyd's contract at Kilmarnock had been due to expire at the end of the season. Kilmarnock chairman Michael Johnston said: "The fee is close to what we were looking for, which was £500,000."