THE temptation for Stuart Kettlewell to accept an offer to take charge at a fourth tier English club with wealthy American owners and ambitious plans for the future shortly after his difficult departure from Motherwell back in January must have been great.
The project was so attractive that no less a figure than Mark Hughes, the former Manchester United, Barcelona, Chelsea and Wales midfielder and Blackburn Rovers, Manchester City, Fulham and Stoke City manager, ended up taking it.
Yet, Kettlewell has no regrets, none whatsoever, about not moving to Carlisle United or pursuing the other opportunities which presented themselves to him in the wake of his surprise and contentious exit from Fir Park.
The 40-year-old, who stood down despite his men being in fifth place in the Premiership because of the toll which the fan abuse he was receiving was taking on his family, appreciated that it was important for him to choose his next job wisely.
His instincts about Carlisle, who are owned by United States logistics businessman Tom and Patty Piatak, perhaps proved correct.
Hughes, despite overseeing an improvement in form and getting disgruntled fans firmly onside, was helpless to prevent them suffering relegation to the National League at the end of April.
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“That that was an opportunity that came up very quickly for me,” said Kettlewell. “I think some people put two and two together. I think it was the only job available at the time, so I think it was only seven days after I’d come out of Motherwell.
“There’s been kind of two or three options there since, nothing against the clubs, nothing against the opportunities. But it’s about trying to find what you feel is right for you and for how you want to work and the people that you’ll be surrounding yourself with and working with.”
He continued, “If we speak about that particular job, there was lots right about it. I think the ownership there and the backing has been excellent, really, really good.
“But I think that sometimes you need to go on your gut feeling as to whether you think it’s the right thing. That’s not in fear of the situation that you would have been inheriting, it’s just making sure that you can try and put your stamp on it.
“Now there’s a situation where it maybe crosses a road where it doesn’t link to how exactly you want to work. Is there a desperation to get back into management, is there a desperation to get back into football?
“There’s also a bit of weighing up everything that surrounds the football club and working out whether, and I’ve said it before, it’s not just about working in football for me, it’s trying to work in the right job.
“I love the game, I love management, but I think a lot of people just want to be in football to be able to tell somebody I work in the game. That’s not really ever been a thing for me.
“I want to see the successes and I want to see the fruits of your labour at the other end of that and I want to see people prosper from within that. That’s kind of how my mindsets always work.”
Kettlewell is convinced that he has made the right choice taking on the Kilmarnock job and is hopeful that he will be able to bring talented young players from the Rugby Park academy through into the first team in the season ahead.
The former Queen’s Park, Clyde and Ross County midfielder accepts no credit at all for the rise to prominence which Motherwell teenager Lennon Miller, who joined up with the Scotland squad yesterday ahead of their friendly internationals against Iceland and Liechtenstein, has enjoyed in the past couple of seasons.
However, he still gave Miller regular first team game time during his time in North Lanarkshire and even made the youngster his captain. He would love to see more gifted prospects make the step up into the senior ranks in Ayrshire.
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“I take no responsibility for Lennon Miller’s development,” he said. “Yes, I played him for a lot of games and I would have played him for a lot of other games if he hadn’t come across two serious injuries. But a lot of people worked with him before me.
“But I came through at Queen’s Park, where young players were given an opportunity. I was a young captain, a really young captain, at the time. Then once I got into coaching, I went and started working with the under-20s at Ross County and got a lot of success there.
“That’s always been a part of my pathway. My thought process is to try and give those opportunities. They come in different ways. Sometimes you sign a rough diamond and you feel that you give them a facility because I always speak about just being a facilitator.
“Lennon Miller was probably the easiest one of them all. When you’re a top talent, you live your life right and you do the right things. My job within it was I played him and I gave him games.
“But there’s been plenty of others in the mix in there as well. If they follow your lead and they take it seriously, then I think you can help them if you’re prepared to give them an opportunity.
“Bobby Wales and David Watson are two good examples of players who have taken their chance here at Kilmarnock. There’s been plenty more before that. You just want to take your own version of it on.”
