Kilmarnock set to appoint Stuart Kettlewell as club's new manager

Kilmarnock are set to appoint former Motherwell and Ross County boss Stuart Kettlewell as the club’s new manager.

The Rugby Park club have been searching for a successor to Derek McInnes after his departure for Hearts and Kettlewell has come out as the club’s choice after around six candidates were considered.

Kettlewell’s appointment is to be confirmed within the next 24 hours and will return to management just four months after leaving Motherwell.

Stephen Frail will join as assistant manager, while Chris Burke and Craig Clark complete the backroom team.

Kettlewell surprisingly quit his position at Fir Park in January citing personal abuse that was affecting his family to the point they didn’t want to attend Motherwell games.

He’ll now begin work to improve Kilmarnock after a season that saw them finish in ninth place in the Premiership table.

A former midfielder with Queen’s Park and Ross County among others, Kettlewell took his first steps in coaching at County before being promoted to co-manager alongside Steve Ferguson in 2018. He became sole manager two years later but left the club in December 2020 after a run of poor results.

Kettlewell was appointed as Motherwell boss in 2022 and managed 92 games overall, boasting a win percentage of 41.3%, the highest of any Motherwell manager since Stuart McCall.