Graham Alexander insists Declan Gallagher is committed 100 per cent to Motherwell after holding a heart-to-heart with his skipper.
The Scotland international is attracting interest from a number of clubs including his boyhood club Celtic as he enters the final few months of his contract at Fir Park.
The situation is complicated by a clause in the defender’s contract that means he is only a matter of a few games away from triggering an extension to his deal at Fir Park.
Alexander admits every player at the club is available for the right price this month.
But after a frank discussion with the 29-year-old this week, Alexander is convinced his captain is focused on the remainder of the season should no sufficient offers land at their door. He said: “I spoke to Declan in the last couple of days.
“It was a real good, positive conversation. We know it’s going to be fluid for the next couple of weeks because I understand every player in the world is for sale.
“He assured me if he is here until the end of the season he will give me and his team-mates exactly what he has done in recent weeks.
“That’s all I wanted to hear. We know at any moment any player could be sold. But while they’re here I want players to showcase what they can do.
“We will assess Dec’s situation. I understand as a player when you’re coming up to 30 and there’s lots of different aspects.
“But whatever is going on outside I was always committed to my job. That’s all I ask of the players.”
Alexander strengthened his squad ahead of today’s trip to face Aberdeen with the arrival of giant striker Harry Smith on loan from Northampton.
Alexander added: “He brings us a skill set we feel we possibly need in the squad with his aerial threat.
“He’s only 25 but he has good experience, can hold it up and score goals. He has played against my teams before and he was part of a successful club last year.
“When he’s on the park teams wonder how you’re going to stop him.
“He’s motivated as he’s been out of the picture at Northampton. He doesn’t see a way back in and he wants to play football and he will get the opportunity here.
“It’s a big decision for him as he’s never experienced this league before. He could have stayed in England and we’re glad he came here.”
Alexander is relishing the trip to Pittodrie – not least because it’s the venue where he made his international debut almost 19 years ago.
He said: “We lost 2-1 to Nigeria. I came on at half-time and that was one of the biggest highlights of my career.
“I was in the Scotland squad with Derek McInnes a couple of times and played against him when he was in England. He sent me a nice message when I first came here.
“But he’s a competitor and so am I. I went to watch them against Rangers and saw it’s a tough venue to go to.”
Meanwhile, Jake Carroll admits he had to fight back tears after being given the prognosis on an Achilles rupture that left him feeling like he’d been shot.
The Well full-back spent 10 months on the treatment table after suffering the injury in last February’s Scottish Cup replay defeat to St Mirren.
But Carroll has finally returned to action and has already been rewarded with a new deal until 2023.
He said: “We’ve been speaking for a couple of weeks now and I’m delighted to get it over the line. I’m really happy and settled here. Coming back I was desperate to hit the ground running and if I could get into the team and stay in.
“People say it’s like being shot and that’s quite accurate. I’ve never been shot, mind you, but I’d imagine that would be what it’s like!
“I remember taking a couple of steps and it just didn’t feel like my foot was attached. It didn’t feel solid enough to push off or run, so I had to come off.
“It’s a time when you have to fight back the tears. My first question was ‘how long?’ When the physio said the amount of months I got a bit of a shock, and from there it was just dealing with it.”
