Mark O'Hara: Motherwell FC ace panicked over potential exit of manager Stephen Robinson

But it was nothing to do with him having second thoughts over his return to Fir Park on a permanent basis after his successful spell on loan from Peterborough last season.

The 24-year-old had been more concerned at the prospect of manager Stephen Robinson leaving to take the Northern Ireland job.

But Irish FA bosses eventually opted for Ian Baraclough - much to O’Hara’s relief.

He admitted: “It was a panicky time. I really enjoyed working with the manager last year and he was a big part of why I wanted to come back.

“The manager, along with Maurice Ross, Keith Lasley and Diarmuid [O’Carroll], are very particular in what they do and work on a lot of individual stuff and help your understanding of the game.

“Where I’ve been before I don’t think anyone’s gone into as much fine detail as them and it’s made me see the game from a different side. Hopefully this year I can brush up even more and keep adding to my attributes.

“Being here last season and seeing how the manager and staff worked, although I wasn’t playing as much as I would have liked at the start of the season I felt I learned a lot.

“It was really important for me to come back here from a development point of view to try and kick on again and develop my game, as well as being part of a successful team.”

Another attraction for O’Hara was the chance to play in Europe for the first time in his career, albeit under different circumstances from normal with fans unable at the moment to start planning their usually much-anticipated away trips.

O’Hara said: “We’ve a strong squad and from last year we’ve added quality to it. We need to just keep ourselves up challenging in the top part of the league and it would be good to get a cup run, whether that be in Europe or one of the domestic cups.

“But European football is a real attraction this year and we want to get as far as we possibly can. I’ve never played in Europe before and as a youngster it’s something you’d like to achieve in your career.

“The away trips are a big attractions for the fans and hopefully when the time comes we’ll be able to repay them with a good visit somewhere against a top team.”