Stuart Kettlewell: Kilmarnock job will not affect my family’s life

Stuart Kettlewell insists his new managerial post at Kilmarnock will not affect his family’s life after signing a two-year deal with the Ayrshire club.

The former Motherwell and Ross County manager takes over from Derek McInnes who departed for Hearts last week

Kettlewell returns to management after quitting his post at Fir Park in January, with Motherwell stating that “some of the personal abuse (Kettlewell was receiving) was now affecting his family, to the point where they didn’t wish to attend games”.

Asked at his media conference at Rugby Park if his family would attend Killie games, he said: “That then becomes a choice, that becomes a choice everybody has.

“So from my side of things, that will moving forward become a choice for me.

“Again, you understand that people will jump on that conversation and that topic but I can categorically tell you that it won’t affect me doing my job and it won’t affect my family’s life in any way.

“I think I’ve been very categoric, if anybody wants to go over and look at any words that I’ve said in any quotes that I’ve made, at no point have I ever asked for a cuddle, at no point have I ever asked that you feel sorry for me.

“I made a decision, stood by my decision, still do to this day.

“I believe I’m a humble enough person to admit that you learn little bits yourself as well and one of the things that I’ve spoken about is that, this is my job, it doesn’t have to be my family’s life and I really do stand by that.

“And I think you learn a little bit from within that and making sure that you do your job and your family live their life.

“And I’m sure everyone in this room can associate with the family aspect of it.”

Kettlewell, who will be joined by Stephen Frail as assistant manager, with Chris Burke and Craig Clark completing the backroom team, revealed he left with “some nuggets” after spending time with Everton boss David Moyes and assistant Alan Irvine.

He said: “It was spending a little bit of time at Everton with guys like Alan Irvine and David Moyes, with over 1,200 games of football at the top level, so you learn a thing or two from those experiences.

“I spent a day with them, just training, kind of behind the scenes, good conversations, picking their brain on the challenges that they’ve faced or not sometimes.

“I think that’s another thing that sometimes comes to light, you sometimes don’t go to a club when everything’s broken and that was something that they stressed going into Everton, that they actually inherited a lot of good things.

“So just little bits like that, you definitely take value from.

“But I think it always has to be your version, it always has to be your stamp on it, and it always has to be in relation to the club you’re working in.”