Stuart Kettlewell has taken a vow of silence when it comes to close pal David McCallum’s stag do shenanigans.
But he’s happy to vouch publicly for the man who will be thrust into the Hampden spotlight tomorrow.
Rangers confirmed Gio van Bronckhors t as Steven Gerrard ’s replacement on Thursday night but it will fall to B team chief McCallum to mastermind a way past Hibs and tee up a Premier Sports Cup final for the new manager.
He’s hardly one of Scottish football’s more recognisable faces and could easily sneak past large swathes of the Rangers support on his way into the National Stadium without being clocked.
But McCallum has already been cast in a similar role when Graeme Murty was twice thrust into the spotlight.
Still, Kettlewell knows what the 44-year-old former Motherwell and Partick Thistle journeyman is all about.
The ex-Ross County gaffer’s bond with the Ibrox academy chief goes back almost two decades to their days in the Queen’s Park engine room.
Kettlewell said: “I was on Davie’s stag do when I was a young kid. What happens on stag stays on stag – it was early to bed and cups of tea!
“But Davie was such a big influence on me as a young player. He was always a guy I could go to for advice.
“I’ve got a great relationship with him that dates back to me making my debut for Queen’s Park when Davie was also in the middle of the park.
“We had a few games together but unfortunately Davie had to retire early because he had a bad knee.
“Thankfully Billy Stark took him on to the coaching staff at Queen’s Park immediately. Billy saw something in him and decided he wanted to get him involved on the coaching staff.
“Our relationship has continued since then, up to when I took the Under-20s at County while he was in charge of the kids at Rangers.
“Now he’s got this huge opportunity ahead of him this weekend. But, to be honest, I don’t think the idea of taking charge of Rangers at Hampden will faze him one bit.
“Davie is a very measured, composed and intelligent guy.
“I’m sure he’ll deal with whatever is thrown at him in the dugout.
“He also has experience. Davie was part of the team who looked after Rangers when Graeme was drafted in and that was a far more challenging period. The stresses back then outweigh what he’s dealing with now when he’s taking a team packed with internationals sitting top of the league.”
Had things worked out differently, Kettlewell may well have been standing beside his pal in the dugout in Mount Florida. Instead, Brian Gilmour and striker Jermain Defoe will be helping McCallum.
Kettlewell, axed by Staggies chairman Roy MacGregor 11 months ago, said: “I actually spoke to Rangers during the summer after they sounded me out about a role in their youth academy.
“I didn’t feel it was right for me at the time but I was fortunate enough to go in and see how they work.
“The way things are at the club, it’s so fluid in what they do from their first team into their B team with a common style of play.
“The first-team guys are so well drilled in the roles they have and I’m sure guys like Steven Davis and Jermain will have had a major part to play this week.
“I’ve also read that Davie has stepped in to help the first-team coaches when guys were missing, so I don’t think there will be too many issues. I’m sure he’ll relish this chance.”
Tomorrow won’t be the first time McCallum has been placed in temporary command at the National Stadium.
He and Bobby Dickson spent a month in caretaker charge of the Spiders when Stark was appointed Scotland Under-21 boss in January 2008.
In total, he spent 12 years as a player, assistant boss and academy director with the Spiders and Kettlewell is looking forward to seeing his mate back where it all started.
He said: “Davie took over when Billy left but I’ll be honest, I couldn’t tell you who we played while he was in interim charge.
“That tells you that it was a very easy transition during that period before Gardner Speirs came in.
“Obviously the pressures and demands he’ll face this week with
Rangers will be entirely different and that’s before you even consider the fact it’s a semi-final.
“Davie will know Hampden like the back of his hand given the years he spent there.
“And if you know how to work with players, when to speak and when not to, it doesn’t matter if there are 100 people in the ground or 50,000.
“Rangers were Davie’s club growing up so it’ll be a dream come true for him to lead them out as manager, even if it’s only for 90 minutes.”
