Motherwell star on remarkable rise from confidence-sapping loan to Scotland U21s and Fir Park regularity
You couldn’t help but smile when listening to Ewan Wilson reel off his delight over how quick his Motherwell development has been this season.
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Hide AdIt’s not always been this good. Last campaign, a tough loan at Stirling Albion in League One had him sent back to Fir Park, and confidence was rocked. He wasn’t himself, and he had to go to the sixth tier of Scottish football via a heart-to-heart with manager Stuart Kettlewell to find himself.
Slowly but surely, Beith Juniors began to see bright sparks from the marauding left-back who made a major impression on their team. He returned to the senior fold at Fir Park a new man and started the season in impressive fashion during Premier Sports Cup group stage matches.
Fast forward to the few days before a quarter-final in the competition against Dundee United, he’s started every Premiership game so far this season and earned his first two caps for the Scotland U21s vs Spain and Malta off the back of his impressive performances. Getting hooked in a training session to break the national team news to him was the management’s light-hearted way of keeping his feet on the ground.
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Hide AdWilson told the Motherwell Times of the last fortnight: “I can’t even explain it. It’s been such a big achievement, I haven’t got the words to describe how happy I am. One minute I am not in the squad for the U21s, then I get a wee joke played on me as an U16 comes on to take my place and I am thinking ‘what’s going on!’
“It’s a big achievement and I am happy for that and then even more proud to make my first cap against Spain. Then ever more proud to make my first start. It’s been a whirlwind! It showed me what I can do if I keep working hard.”
When asked if he expected the jump he’s made to have been as big as it has been, Wilson was honest. He said: “No, not at all, definitely not. I worked as hard as I could in the off-season to get my chance here.
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Hide Ad“The gaffer has been a big part in me getting that chance but I never once thought I’d get called up to the U21s squad. It was a massive setback (getting sent back from Stirling Albion), not playing for a League One side coming from a Premiership team. People will look at that and think ‘is he really good enough?’
“That was a setback and ig did lower my confidence a wee bit. Going to Beith picked that up, playing consistently. Won the league as well, giving me confidence in the off-season to work hard and get my chance here.”
A moment of doubt crept in as well after the Forthbank loan didn’t work out. Confidence was at a low but that chat with Kettlewell and co has helped lift Wilson from those depth to the highs he experiences now.
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Hide AdHe was asked if he’d began to think about his future and about if he could make it at the level he operates in currently. Wilson candidly replied: “A wee bit I did, my confidence was really low. I wasn’t really myself.
“I wasn’t good in training either. The gaffer and coaching staff picked up on that and knew there was something wrong. I was given a little meeting, they sat me down and said ‘look, we are here.’ That really boosted my confidence to know they have their full confidence and pride in me. That made me work even harder to show them and repay them for what they’ve done.”
Now looking to help take the club back to the League Cup semi-final frontier for the first time since 2017, Wilson added: “To get to the semi-final, maybe the final, you never know. It’d be a really good thing for the club, and for me with the season I have had so far.”
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