RALPH Hasenhuttl has told German media that he intends to end his coaching career at the expiration of his Saints contract in 2024.

The 54-year-old signed a four-year contract to remain with the St Mary’s outfit in June 2020.

If he was to fulfil that contract, he would have spent a total of five-and-a-half years as manager of Saints in the Premier League.

Speaking to Kicker, he reveals that his intention is to end his coaching career then - and he has told new owners Sport Republic.

“That’s the plan and I hope I have the strength to go through with it,” he said.

“I told the new owners that I wanted to put the club on a very healthy footing over the next two-and-a-half years, but that was it.”

Daily Echo: New Saints owners Sport Republic (Pic: Stuart Martin)New Saints owners Sport Republic (Pic: Stuart Martin)

Explaining his surprise decision, the Austrian added: “Five and a half years in the Premier League, that’s a lot of energy, regardless of job satisfaction.

“I can’t imagine that I want to do anything else in the coaching job after that. I achieved my big goal of getting into the Premier League.

“In the motherland of football, being able to coach what is perhaps the best league in the world is a privilege that I am aware of every day.”

The former international striker, Hasenhuttl, has also managed the likes of Ingolstadt and Red Bull Leipzig in a touchline career that started back in 2007.

Hasenhuttl was appointed Saints manager in December 2018 on a two-and-a-half-year deal, succeeding Mark Hughes when they were in the bottom three and successfully steering them to safety.