Latest news with #ex-RossCounty
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
'Steady Kettlewell will be hungry for success after tough spell'
Does Stuart Kettlewell's Scottish Premiership experience make him a shrewd and steady Kilmarnock appointment? The former Motherwell boss' move to Rugby Park has been met with mixed reviews from fans of the Ayrshire club. Kettlewell led the Steelmen to seventh and ninth-placed finishes in his time at Fir Park before departing with the team in fifth in January. The ex-Ross County manager's Well exit came amid a run of one win in nine games, with the 40-year-old citing fan abuse as the reason for his resignation. Despite a bottom-six finish, Well scored the third most goals in the league in the 2023-24 season under Kettlewell. But a shift in playing style earlier this campaign prompted criticism from the support even though the team were competing for a top-half spot. Could Kettlewell's experience of that scrutiny benefit Kilmarnock? The Scotman's sports editor Mark Atkinson believes so. Speaking on the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast, he said: "I think it's a steady appointment. Kilmarnock fans might take umbrage at that, but I think it's not a bad choice. "I think he'll do a really good job because he's so experienced. I think when you get a manager that's come out of a really difficult period, they're going to be even hungrier for success than some others."
Scotsman
29-04-2025
- Sport
- Scotsman
'I could have...': Scotland striker ends 203 day wait as £10m ace lifts lid on 'tough' season
The Scotland internationalist believes his difficult campaign has provided him with a 'mental toughness' Sign up to our Football newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Scotland international Ross Stewart says he is ready to put his injury-hell behind him and fire Southampton to promotion next season after making his first start for the club in 203 days at the weekend. The 28-year-old striker has endured a nightmare last two seasons since moving to St Mary's for a reported fee of £10million from Sunderland in September 2023, but can finally se the light at the end of a dark tunnel after playing 65 minutes of already relegated Southampton's 2-1 defeat to Fulham in the English Premier League on Saturday. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Only his second start for the Saints since his megabucks move from the Black Cats, Stewart has been restricted to just 13 appearances for the club due to various injuries, but the ex-Ross County striker believes his long spell on the treatment table has instilled a mental toughness that can help him spearhead the club's promotion push next season. "I thoroughly enjoyed it," Stewart told the Daily Echo. "That's the reason for the dark, lonely days where I've been working the last couple of years. That's what I've been working towards. You want to be out there playing. Since I've come to this football club, all I've wanted to do is play games and try and help out. Then you get that setback with another injury or a niggle. It's tough because you just want to play games of football. "I'd never really experienced this in my career up to the last couple of years. You talk to everybody, and everybody tries to help you and guide you. Sometimes it just doesn't go your way. I've worked really hard. Like I said, the lads in the dressing room have always been a massive help as well. They have kept me in a good mental space because it's been tough at times. I'm just happy to be back out there. It's what I want to do." Ross Stewart enjoyed a goal-laden stint at Sunderland but has suffered with injury since his move to Southampton in September 2023. | Getty Images Receiving his maiden call up to Steve Clarke's Scotland squad in 2022, the Irvine born frontman had looked like a genuinely exciting option for the Tartan Army after bagging 26 goals in Sunderland's 2021/22 promotion season. After coming off the bench in the Nations League games against Armenia and Republic Of Ireland, the 6ft 4in had put himself in contention for a starting XI spot after a blistering start to the EFL Championship with the Black Cats, scoring five goals in his first six games. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad His form saw him briefly linked with a move to Rangers, but disaster struck when he tore his thigh muscle in the warmup before the Sunderland's game with Middlesbrough in September 2022. While he returned briefly for the Stadium of Light outfit in December of that year, a torn Achilles ended his season just four weeks into his comeback. He would later join Southampton in a big money move the following summer, but continued to struggle with various niggling injuries. However, the tall forward is ready to put it all behind him now and show Saints fans why he was brought to the club in the first place. "When I came down, I could have played sooner, but we tried to take that extra time just to benefit me, and I was happy to do that," said Stewart. 'Unfortunately, you take that extra time, and it still happens. There's been no reason for it all. It's just been one of these things. "Nobody's been working harder to try and be out there than me because it's what I want to do. I came down here to play for this club in the [English] Premier League. It has been tough, not being a part of it as much as I want. I'm mentally tough, and I'm happy that I've come through it. Those 65 minutes have done me good today. Like I said, I've just got to use that and kick on now.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad
