Stuart Kettlewell offered Motherwell job after successful caretaker spell

Stuart Kettlewell has been offered the Motherwell manager’s job after guiding the team to two wins while acting as interim boss, STV understands.

The former Ross County manager has been working as a development coach at Fir Park but stepped up to take charge of the first team when Steven Hammell was sacked after a poor run of results.

Kettlewell had an instant impact, guiding the team to a 2-1 win over St Mirren last week before delivering a 2-0 win over third-placed Hearts on Sunday.

The 38-year-old was already in the running for the job, with Grant McCann and Ian Holloway the other contenders on the shortlist, but delivering back-to-back victories and six vital points was enough to make him the preferred candidate.

Kettlewell had made it clear that he would be interested in the position and in making a long-term return to the dugout, more than two years after he left Ross County.

Speaking after the win over Hearts on Sunday afternoon though, he was not expecting a quick decision to be made about the position.

“There’s been no contact or conversation about what happens and I’m not expecting it,” he said. “I wasn’t thinking that was going to be the case win, lose or draw anyway.

“I want to get up the road and try chill out to be brutally honest, this week has been chaos, it has been hectic, trying to work towards six points which we’ve managed to achieve.

“Individually, if I do make it about myself, I think you have to reset and try and get some sleep as well – that’s not been coming too freely recently.”

Motherwell’s next game is against fellow Premiership strugglers Kilmarnock at Rugby Park on Saturday.