WHEN it comes to his contract situation at Motherwell, it seems that goalkeeper Liam Kelly and manager Stuart Kettlewell are on the same page. Whether he will end up putting his signature on another piece of paper at Fir Park though, remains to be seen.
Kettlewell said last week there were ‘external factors’ that made it difficult at this point to offer too much clarity on the goalkeeper’s future, far less offer him an extension to his deal at the club, which is due to expire in the summer.
One would have to presume that chief among those ‘external factors’ is the fact that there are clubs out there with a great deal more money than Motherwell can throw at the newly capped Scotland international.
Speaking to Kelly though, there appears no great rush for his situation to be resolved.
Internal factors in his own mind include the possibility of committing his long-term future to a club where he has found a home, or even the possibility of signing a short-term extension that would ensure he was a contracted Motherwell player during the European Championships, thus earning the Steelmen a good few bob if he were to make the Scotland squad.
Whatever happens though, the 27-year-old knows that his immediate focus has to be on maintaining his recent return to form for his club. If not, not only will his options decrease, but so too will rewards such as his involvement with the national team.
“Listen, I’ve made it clear how much I thank the manager for helping me get my confidence levels back to where they were when I first came to the club,” Kelly said.
“I’m really clear in terms of where the club will need to take things slowly and assess where we are when it gets towards the end of the season, and I’m more than happy with that.
“I’m not looking anywhere else, I’ve not spoken to anyone else and I’m really happy here. I’m not focusing on going anywhere else.
“If the time comes where the club tell me to look for someone else or they say they’re going down a different path then I’ll thank them for the brilliant three and a half years I’ve had here. I think we’ve done alright for each other, but that point hasn’t come yet.
“We’ll take it slowly and assess it as it goes along so there’s genuinely not been a decision made on it yet.
“There are lots of external factors. Lots of things need to play in - a much longer contract, no contract, maybe a smaller contract in terms of the Euros…so there are a lot of different scenarios that could play out.
“We’ve parked it and will pick it up closer to the end of the season, so anyone who asks between now and March will probably get roughly the same answer!”
Kelly has had a taste of football in England with Queens Park Rangers, and is all too aware of the riches on offer even at Championship level down south. But the environment and platform that Motherwell have offered him are privileges he doesn’t take lightly.
“Sometimes you go to a club, and you get a feel, don’t you?” he said.
“You know when you’re working somewhere if it’s the right environment for you. I think that goes with any line of job, not just football.
“I’ve had that here and I’ve loved it. I wouldn’t want to give that up too quickly or too easily, but if the club want to go down a different direction, then I’ll look for that feeling and environment whether it’s in England or up here.
“But I’ve not even thought about it. I’m content with the situation. We know where we’re going with it and will take it slowly.”
Having waited so long for his first Scotland cap after being involved in numerous squads over the past few years, a few may come along at once for Kelly. An injury to Steve Clarke’s number one, Angus Gunn, has ruled him out of the forthcoming matches against Georgia and Norway that round off Scotland’s successful qualifying group stage for the Euros.
Though, Kelly knows he faces stiff competition for the gloves in those matches from Zander Clark, or perhaps even the re-emerging Craig Gordon.
“I hope he’s injured not too badly,” he said.
“I wish him well. He’s a great big goalie and great big guy. It’s disappointing for him he’ll miss out.
“Club always comes first and you always have to play well for your club. The better you play for your club the better the chance of the Scotland gaffer picking you. I need to try to do that first then see what happens. The manager is pretty fair in terms of who he picks.
“It’s great to see big Craig back after that really nasty injury. At that age to be back after ten months out, is great to see. It’s great competition. I love playing against and training with these guys.”
Motherwell welcome back Calum Butcher for today’s game at Fir Park against Ross County, while striker Mika Biereth will make the bench after his own long-term injury layoff.
