Motherwell hope to appoint Stuart Kettlewell as their new manager within the next 24 hours.
Record Sport broke the story on Monday that the interim boss had been offered the top Fir Park job on a permanent basis. Kettlewell was told after the weekend win over Hearts by chairman Jim McMahon that the job was his if he wanted it. The former Ross County boss had a discussion with outgoing chief executive Alan Burrows yesterday and was waiting for an offer to be made to his representatives.
Kettlewell is keen on the job but things would also need to be right for him to commit, both professionally and in terms of his contract. He is waiting to see if the deal will be a long-term appointment or just until the end of the season in the first instance. Kettlewell also wants to know what the aims are for the club and what scope he would have to bring his own staff in.
He has also seen what has happened with his predecessor, Stevie Hammell, who stepped up from his job as head of academy and then found himself out of a job after he was sacked earlier this month. The 38-year-old would want the option to go back to his role of lead development coach if the manager’s job was only until the summer.
Kettlewell was put in temporary charge after Hammell was sacked following the Scottish Cup exit to Raith Rovers. He came in and has led them to back-to-back wins over St Mirren and Hearts that has taken them off the foot of the bottom of the table.
Motherwell had also interviewed Grant McCann and Ian Holloway but those results have made Kettlewell the top target. Ironically, Kettlewell applied for the Motherwell job after Graham Alexander left.
Hammell got the job but the Lanarkshire side decided to bring Kettlewell in as their lead development coach in October. Before that he had been in charge of Ross County for two years, where he helped them win the Championship and Challenge Cup and also keep the Staggies in the Premiership during the pandemic.
His first game as permanent manager is likely to be the weekend trip to Kilmarnock.
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