Ronald Koeman has impressed since taking charge of Southampton last summer.

In pre-season talk, cynics sharpened their pencils and focused on Southampton’s new manager Ronald Koeman.

The Dutchman was not given much hope of excelling on his debut in the Premiership after the exodus of key players from St Mary’s Stadium. Yet, the shrewd Koeman silenced all his critics after getting adequate replacements to fill the void of those who had left the club.

Results so far have been superb as the Saints are flying high and in the mix for a place in the Champions League next season.

Koeman was right to complain about the fixture overload in December but Southampton were still in the top five at the start of the year.

The manager was pleased with the way his side navigated their way through a difficult fixtures list.

“I’m very happy and proud of everybody,” he was quoted as saying at the start of the year.

“It was a long week, a difficult week, with three games away but such games give players renewed confidence, new spirit... you need to win vital matches.”

Koeman was born on March 21, 1963 in Zaandam, Netherlands. He played in defence or as a midfielder. He started his playing career with Groningen, where he starred for 90 matches and scored a total 33 goals from 1980 to 1983.

Koeman’s playing career was as follows:

1983-86: Ajax – 94 games and 23 goals.
1986-89: PSV Eindhoven − 98 matches and 51 goals.
1989-95: Barcelona − 192 matches and 67 goals.
1995-97: Feyenoord − 61 games and 19 goals.

In the orange jersey of the Netherlands he appeared in 78 internationals, 14 goals.

He lifted two European Cups in his career – with PSV Eindhoven in 1988 and Barcelona in 1992 – and became the first player to score in two different European Cup finals (for PSV and Barca).

Under his fellow-countryman Johan Cruyff, he became part of the Dream Team of Barcelona, assisting the Spaniards to claim the La Liga title in straight seasons from 1991 to 1994.

Koeman scored 193 league goals in 533 matches during his career, more than any other defender in the history of football.

His domestic career honours included five Dutch championships, three Dutch Cups, four Spanish championships, one Spanish Cup and he was also in the winning Dutch national team at Euro 1988.

Koeman started his coaching career as assistant to the national team from 1997 to 1998. Other stops read:

1998-2000: assistant coach at Barcelona.
2000-01: coach Vitesse in the Dutch League.
2001-05: Ajax Amsterdam.
2005-06: Benfica.
2006-07: PSV Eindhoven.
2007-08: Valencia.
2009: He coached Dutch side AZ Alkmaar for a short period and took time off to rest and enjoy his family.
2011-2014: He recharged his batteries with Feyenoord.

In 2014 he joined Southampton.

Managerial honours

At Ajax, Koeman won a domestic double in 2001-02 and the title once more in 2003-04.

Other managerial honours:

Benfica − Koeman only won the Portuguese Super Cup and left one year before the end of his contract.

PSV Eindhoven − He won the Eredivisie championship, pipping Ajax by one point in 2006-07.

Valencia − He tried his luck in the Spanish League, steering Valencia to the domestic cup in 2007-08.

Playing honours

Dutch Footballer of the Year: 1987, 1988.

UEFA Euro 1988 Team of the Tournament.

UEFA Champions League top scorer: season 1993–94.

Eighth foreign manager

Ronald Koeman is one of eight foreign coaches in the Premiership this season.

The other seven non-English managers are:

Arsenal − Arsene Wenger (France).
Chelsea − Jose Mourinho (Portugal).
Everton − Roberto Martinez (Spain).
Manchester City − Manuel Pellegrini (Chile).
Manchester United − Louis van Gaal (Netherlands).
Sunderland − Gustavo Poyet (Uruguay).
Tottenham − Mauricio Pochettino (Argentina).