Newcastle United cult hero and ex-Wolves star applies for Motherwell manager job as new boss hunt continues
Motherwell are continuing their hunt for a new manager with a former Newcastle United and Wolves man keen.
A former Newcastle United and Wolves man has applied for the vacant manager position at Motherwell, as the club continue their search for a new boss.
Stuart Kettlewell resigned as gaffer last week and the club have received applications from across the world. Former Australia manager Graham Arnold is one name the Motherwell Times revealed that was interested in the job while the likes of Steven Naismith and Ryan Lowe have featured frequently in bookmakers odds, alongside a host of other names.
The Motherwell Times understands that the currently sixth-placed Premiership are beginning to narrow down the candidates, and one of the applicants for the role is former Cyprus, Georgia and Anorthosis manager Temur Ketsbaia. He has sent his CV to Fir Park for consideration but no decisions have been taken yet on who the new manager will be.
Ketsbaia was last in the UK as a player. He joined Newcastle United on a free transfer in 1997 and became something of a cult hero at the club. The Georgian scored a goal against Dinamo Zagreb, cementing a first-ever Champions League place for Newcastle United. Ketsbaia then had time at Wolves and then a season at Dundee before ending his playing days in Greece with Anorthosis.
He went on to manage the club for five years between 2004-2009, winning two championships and one cup. The club proceeded to the third round of the Champions League and then a few campaigns later in the 08/09 term, reached the Champions League Group Stage, the first Cypriot team to achieve this.
A five-year stint as Georgia manager followed after time at Greek giants Olympiacos while the former Newcastle and Wolves man has also had charge of AEK Athens, Orenburg, Anorthosis for a second spell and the Cyprus national team, who he left in September 2024 after a 4-0 home defeat by Kosovo.
After elimination from the Scottish Cup to St Johnstone last month, Motherwell do not play this weekend and return on February 15th vs Ross County in the league. One man who won’t be taking the job is former Celtic and Hibs midfielder Scott Brown, who currently has Ayr United pushing for Premiership promotion.
He said ahead of facing Hibs in the cup on Friday: “My main concentration is on Ayr, I am really enjoying it here at this moment in time and looking forward to the game on Friday. Motherwell is a great club and I’m sure somebody will go and get that job, but it’s not going to be me.”