Stevie Frail is set for a dug out return after being appointed as Motherwell’s new assistant manager.
The former Celtic U20s boss and Hearts assistant was last in position at Dundee United as Micky Mellon’s number two. But he’s accepted an invite from Stuart Kettlewell to complete his backroom team after Richard Foster’s appointment as head of coaching this week.
And Frail is set to team up with his new club for the trip to Dingwall to face Ross County tomorrow. Frail said: “I am delighted to be here and given this opportunity. Stuart phoned me last week with regards to coming in and we discussed at length the short-term and long-term visions he has at the club. It was an easy decision to make. This is a good club and I’m well aware of the history of it. From my perspective, I’m looking forward to getting back on the training pitch again.”
Frail enjoyed a top flight playing career with Hearts and St Johnstone after breaking through at Dundee. The full-back also had spells with Tranmere Rovers and Morton before moving into coaching with Ton in 2001.
Craig Levein took him back to Tynecastle in 2004 initially as U19 coach then assistant boss following John McGlynn’s departure in 2006. A spell as caretaker boss of the Jambos followed in 2007-08 after Valdas Ivanauskas left Gorgie. But Frail left Hearts at the end of that campaign and joined Celtic in early 2009 as reserve and youth team coach. The 53-year-old has also worked with the Scotland U16 side and Northern Ireland U19 and 17s before moving to Tannadice in the summer of 2020.
Kettlewell said: "When I took the job, I knew I wanted an experienced head in the dugout with me. Stephen is highly regarded and respected in the game and is someone who has coached at various different levels, at club and international level.
“He is an excellent coach who builds good relationships with players and has been in work recently. I’m very much looking forward to working with Stephen and hopefully forging a successful time at Motherwell.”
Meanwhile, Kettlewell is also hopeful a new chief executive will be in place this month to replace the departed Alan Burrows who has taken up a similar role at Aberdeen. He said: “We are active on that front right now.
“The chairman and board members are very much in that process but again like the manager situation we’re not just going to jump in with the first thing that comes to hand. They are going through a meticulous process and are going to try and select the right person to replace someone who did extremely good work at this club.
“We’ll see what comes in the coming days and weeks.”
