RALPH Krueger will continue as Saints chairman for at least the next season, after extending his commitment to the club.

Krueger revealed to the Daily Echo earlier in the year that his initial agreement at St Mary's was due to expire this summer.

However, the 55-year-old former ice hockey coach is not yet ready to relinquish the role and has agreed with owner Katharina Libeherr to continue heading up the board.

“At the very beginning, it was really about making sure I was able to add value in my role," he said.

"That had to happen, and I needed to be sure that that was happening on a regular basis, and I feel the opportunity’s been there, and the second thing is personal growth – that I‘m challenged and that I have growth opportunity every day, and that’s without question.

"I look very much forward to leading the club through the next season.

"It’s not a role as a coach where you actually can put any type of bookends on it.

"I think it’s a journey that’s just begun and there was no reason for me to do anything but to continue this journey right now, as we continue to grow as a club."

While executive director Les Reed oversees all football matters at the club, and chief executive Gareth Rogers is in charge of the business side of things, it is Krueger who is the figurehead.

But his focus has not just been on providing leadership at St Mary's - it has also been about helping to improve the club's status and commercial power on the global stage.

Krueger has been enthused by things like this week's Brand Finance report that ranked Saints as the fastest growing brand in world football, while he explained that the job has also helped to provide him with the sporting fix he craves.

"On the business side, it’s an exciting growth," he said.

"I would like to continue to do what I can with the commercial and business arm of the club, to grow the brand and then continue to keep the football going.

"But I’m getting enough sports to fill the void that some people thought I might have, not coaching anymore.

"I love the matches, I’ve loved being at almost all the road matches and home matches.

"It’s fulfilling that need, which I wasn’t sure whether I could go without the hands-on part of it.

"I’m really enjoying the process and, again, we’ve hired so many amazing people to go with the strong workforce that was here.

"There’s almost 70 new people in the business now and everybody brings so much energy every day. It’s a real fun place to come and work."