Motherwell appoint James McFadden as assistant manager

Mark McGhee has been in the hunt for a new No.2 ever since Steve Robinson departed for Oldham earlier this month following a heroic effort as part of Northern Ireland’s Euro 2016 coaching staff.

It is an appointment that the Fir Park manager has been taking his time over and it has now emerged that club icon McFadden is the man that will stand beside him in the dugout.

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The 33-year-old is a cult hero to most around the Premiership outfit, having just completed a record third spell as a player last season.

McFadden has played an active role in the Motherwell youth academy during that time as he looks for a career in coaching.

And now at the club where he began his playing career as a red-streaked teenager, he has once again found a fresh opportunity.

“It’s all been very quick,” said McFadden, who will also sign on as a player for the forthcoming campaign. “I tried to think about it as much as I could.

“It’s a great opportunity for me to move into the coaching side and to obviously be available as a player as well. It was an opportunity that was too good to refuse.

“I started my playing career here so I think it’s quite fitting that I start my coaching  career here as well. I have a determination for the club to do well and to put in as much work as I can to help the manager and the players.”

As mentioned above, McFadden returned in December for an historic third term in claret and amber, only for a freak training ground injury to curtail his progress with a broken ankle back in March.

And while he is delighted to get  a foot on the coaching ladder – commencing tonight with Motherwell’s Betfred Cup tie against East Stirlingshire at Fir Park – he is keen to stress his playing days are not yet fully behind him.

“I got the all clear yesterday so I’m good to go,” said McFadden. “I’ve been doing some fitness work and I’ll continue do so.

“I feel good. It’s probably the best I’ve felt in the last few years. It’ll be a strange one trying to juggle the two but we’ll do the best we can.”