Former Tunisia captain Radhi Jaidi to coach in USA

In August Radhi Jaidi dismissed speculation that he was to be the Tunisia coach

Former Tunisia captain Radhi Jaidi has reached an agreement in principle to be coach of US second-tier side Hartford Athletic.

Jaidi joins on a 12-month secondment from English Premier League side Southampton, where he is coach of the under-23 side.

"The move signals the first stage of developing a partnership between Hartford Athletic and the Southampton Academy, which may in the future involve player loans," Southampton said in a statement.

"It also allows the club to strengthen the identification of talented young players in the US whilst sharing knowledge and experience of young player development.!

Hartford Athletic Chairman and CEO Bruce Mandell says hiring Jaidi is part of the plan to make the club a 'world class organisation.'

"Our fans have given us a mandate to build a world class organization, and Radhi brings everything to the table that we need to achieve this goal as our leader on the field," he said.

"We thank Southampton Football Club for putting their trust in our organization and look forward to our growing relationship."

Jaidi, who made more than 100 appearances for Tunisia including at the 2002 and 2006 World Cups, is relishing the move.

"I have seen the fans in action and cannot wait to be part of the atmosphere at Dillon Stadium," he said.

"We have a big task at hand, and there is so much potential in Hartford and in the USL Championship overall.

"Thank you to Hartford Athletic and to Southampton Football Club for the opportunity."

Current under-23s assistant Coach David Horseman will lead Southampton's under-23s on an interim basis.