15 years ago last week, Motherwell Football Club came through perhaps its toughest test to date, and current captain Keith Lasley was there to witness it.

He well remembers how difficult it was to see any light at the end of the tunnel as the club plunged into administration, and he watched friends and teammates lose their jobs.

But he also remembers what it took to pull the club back from the brink. Sacrifice. Hard work. Dedication. And not just from the remaining staff, but from the support too.

Now, as the Steelmen face up to yet another huge battle as they attempt to preserve their Premiership status in the last four games of the season, the ‘Well skipper has called for that same spirit of togetherness to pull them through.

He believes that if everyone who cares about the football club can pull in the same direction, then the players can avoid the drop and at the same time, safeguard the future of the club yet again.

“It’s incredible it’s been so long since administration,” Lasley said. “And maybe it’s still incredible that I’m playing for the club!

“But when you see where the club is off the park now compared to then, it really is night and day.

“I’ve had so many highs and lows at Motherwell, but that was probably the lowest moment. When you see teammates and staff members being asked to leave the building and not returning, it was a really sad time for everyone.

“Even for the ones who were staying on, it was really difficult.

“It’s obviously different times now, but we need the support to stick with us again, more so than at any other time.

“It’s understandable that the fans get frustrated, and players do too, we get frustrated with each other. We all want the same thing, we all want what is best for the club in the short term in these games and moving forward as well.

“There’s so much good work going on at the club at all levels, so we’re desperate to keep our status in this division. If we can do so, then we feel that we can really move forward as a football club.

“Even this week the club have launched some fantastic initiatives looking forward into next season in terms of season tickets and things like that, and as players, we know it is just vital that we stay in this division to let the good work that’s being done at the club prosper.

“It’s all about pulling together. The ‘Well Society is all about that, and hopefully the fans can do that in these four games that are remaining.

“As a club, Motherwell is at its best when everyone is together, and that is including the fans and the whole community.”

Lasley himself admits that the John Boyle era at Motherwell was an exciting one to be a part of before it all fell apart so spectacularly.

But with a sustainable future as a fan-owned club now within reach, Lasley is desperate that the club’s long-term future isn’t derailed by what is currently happening on the pitch.

“We may not have that rich benefactor now who can pull money from nowhere and spend big wages on star players, and that’s not the way it is going to be at Motherwell for the foreseeable future,” he said.

“But hopefully what the ‘Well Society does bring is a stability that can last for decades.

“John Boyle was investing lot of money back then, but to me, there are a lot of aspects of the club that are being run better now, albeit on a tight budget.

“People are really going above and beyond in terms of what we are producing for the money that is there.

“So, it’s up to us as players to do our part and that’s certainly what we’re desperate to do. We have a group of players who really want to do well for the club in the short term, but are also desperate for this club to prosper in the long term.”

If Motherwell are to survive in the top-flight, then Lasley believes they cannot afford to dwell on a series of legitimate grievances over refereeing decisions and focus fully on the next match against Ross county this Saturday.

The latest of those errors came against Dundee last weekend, where for the third time this season, the Steelmen were denied a goal despite the ball being clearly over the line.

“It’s obviously difficult to take at the time, particularly given that we felt that for large parts of the game our performance was pretty good,” he said.

“We retained the ball well and we created chances. The decision obviously gets the headlines, but we need to move on.

“That’s so important after the split especially not to dwell on anything, win, lose or draw. It’s onto Ross County now and we need to focus fully on this game.

“The pressure and all the interest around the games is only going to grow now until the end of the season with the way the split works.

“It must be great for the neutral to watch, but it’s murder being involved in it. You’re all playing each other and that cranks up the pressure every week more and more.

“But it’s up to us to handle that. We’re professionals and we will handle it.

“A big effort is required, but we feel confident that we have the squad to get ourselves out of this situation. That’s what we fully intend on doing.”