Eckert makes it three in a row with April award
Southampton head coach Tonda Eckert has been named the Sky Bet Championship Manager of the Month for the third time in a row.
The 33-year-old, who also won the award in February and March, has now completed an impressive hat-trick by scooping the prize for April, Saints’ third straight unbeaten month in league action.
Eckert becomes the first Championship boss to win three in a row since Vincent Kompany in 2022/23, when Burnley romped to the title with 101 points.
Saints took 14 points from their six league matches in April, winning four and drawing two, staying in the race for automatic promotion until the penultimate matchday of the season.
Highlights included crucial wins over play-off rivals Wrexham and Derby, and a dramatic last-gasp victory at Swansea, as Saints scored at least twice in every game, racking up 16 goals in total.
The German saw off competition from Frank Lampard (Coventry), Michael O’Neill (Blackburn) and John Mousinho (Portsmouth), as an EFL judging panel crowned him the winner for the third consecutive month.
Eckert said: “It’s a real honour to receive this award again, but it’s one that belongs to everyone at the football club. The players and staff have been outstanding, and our supporters continue to give us incredible backing every week.
“To win it three times in a row is something we can be proud of, but our focus remains fully on the games ahead. We’ve built a strong mentality as a group and we have to keep pushing to finish the season as strongly as possible.”
