GRAEME SOUNESS will be hoping for a happier ending second time round at St Mary's when he takes charge of his first game as Newcastle manager against Saints a week on Sunday.

It was only a few weeks ago that Souness brought his Blackburn side to the south coast but returned home having lost 3-2 to a controversial last-minute penalty.

That result provided Saints with their only points of the season so far, but proved to be Paul Sturrock's last game in charge.

Souness, who left Blackburn yesterday, will be officially installed as Newcastle manager next Monday - thus avoiding having to face Blackburn while in the Magpies hot-seat on Saturday.

Instead it will be Saints who are the first to experience the Souness-era Tynesiders.

On being appointed yesterday Souness, a former Saints boss, said: "I'm ready for a big challenge, and they don't come much bigger than this.

"I don't need to be told by anyone that Newcastle are one of best supported clubs around.

"Everything is geared to be successful, and I hope I can bring success."

Newcastle will be his SEVENTH managerial appointment in the last 18 years.

Souness first entered management in 1986 when he was appointed Glasgow Rangers boss.

He signed a host of top English names and lead the club out of the shadow of Celtic, winning three Scottish League titles, before returning to Liverpool as manager in 1991.

He entered hospital for a triple heart by-pass operation 24 hours after FA Cup semi-final draw against Portsmouth, but was at Wembley on the bench to watch his side beat Sunderland 2-0 in the final.

Souness was sacked as Liverpool boss after a 1-0 FA Cup home defeat to Bristol City in January 1994, and a year later was appointed manager of Turkish club Galatasary.

He was sacked after just a season and was appointed Saints boss in succession to Dave Merrington on July 3 1996. He resigned the following summer, just a few months after Rupert Lowe had arrived at The Dell.

The highlight of Souness' season at Saints was the6-3 win over Manchester United at The Dell while, on the negative side, lower division Reading and Stockport knocked his side out of the FA Cup and League Cup respectively.

Souness then went to manage Torino but was fired after less than four months into a two-year contract of the Italian second division club.

The former Scottish international's managerial career continued in November 1997 when he was appointed Benfica boss, a position he held until he was sacked in April 1999.

He took up the reigns at Blackburn in March 2000, guiding Rovers to the League Cup in February 2002 when they beat Glenn Hoddle's Spurs 2-1.