Southampton have offered a permanent role to the intern at the centre of their Spygate scandal, talkSPORT understands.The Saints were disqualified from last season’s Championship play-offs for spying on their opponents Middlesbrough.Tonda Eckert’s side were disqualified from the Championship play-offs after they were caught cheating on their opponentsPAAn EFL investigation also uncovered similar incidents before matches against Oxford United and Ipswich Town earlier in the season.As well as being removed from the play-offs, the club were also hit with a four-point deduction from the start of the 2026/27 season.A subsequent appeal by Southampton was rejected by the EFL.Meanwhile, the FA have since opened an investigation of their own to determine whether any further charges can be brought against the club.Their offences came to light after intern Will Salt was pictured filming a Boro training session on the eve of their first leg.And in a shock twist, Southampton have now offered the 23-year-old a permanent job within their academy.It comes after owner Dragan Solak publicly backed manager Tonda Eckert.The 33-year-old, who was appointed in December, is currently under contract until next summer.Solak told BBC Sport in June that his manager ‘deserves a second chance’ and he would not be sacking him.He added: “My full support would be behind him actually, because I think he’s a super-talented manager.”Eckert has won 21 of his 35 matches since being named permanent boss.His side will begin the new season away to Watford on Sunday, August 16.This is a developing story and is being updated.For the latest updates, breaking news alerts, and comprehensive analysis, refresh this page or follow our real-time news coverage by watching and listening to talkSPORT live.For broader context, explore related coverage on our homepage for the top trending stories. For the latest talkSPORT videos, download the app.talkSPORT cares about getting it right, not just getting it first and because this is a developing situation, details will change. We will be updating this page constantly with verified info, expert takes, and official statements.Stay tuned for further developments as this story continues to break.