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Stephen O’Donnell has signed a contract extension that will see him take part in his seventh season at Motherwell. 

The defender’s contract now runs until the summer of 2027.

“Since Stephen returned home to North Lanarkshire in 2020, he’s played more than 200 games for Motherwell FC,” Jens Berthel Askou stated.

“This season his form has been outstanding, playing a vital role in both the centre-back position and in his more natural role as a full-back.

“Building a new squad in the summer, Stephen’s leadership, experience and bubbly and open personality have been extremely important to us in knitting together a strong group.

“Stephen still demonstrates the same hunger and curiosity to improve and learn every day as when he was young and sets a brilliant example for the next generation of players.

“I’m delighted that he has extended his time with us for another year.”

Making his 200th appearance for the club in November, O’Donnell has enjoyed a successful season in Jens Berthel Askou’s side and has bounced back from a small injury setback in the process.

Playing his 300th Scottish Premiership match also this season, O’Donnell’s experience has been pivotal in the club’s success on the pitch this season.

“There was no doubt that I wanted to extend my deal here, and I’m glad to get my future sorted,” Stephen O’Donnell said.

“I’ve been through so much in my time at Motherwell, and this is a great place to be just now. The club has been making real strides on and off the pitch and is moving in an upward trajectory.

“Playing 200 games was a huge honour, and I will do my utmost best to produce good performances and results on the pitch. The support I have been receiving this season has been appreciated. It drives you on and gives you extra motivation to do well.

“I want to thank everyone for their support. We’re now in a crucial part of the season, so I’ll focus on the matches ahead, and hopefully the team continues to perform at a high standard.”

Elliot Watt is your G4 Claims December player of the month.

Having picked up the William Hill Premiership December Player of the Month award, Watt picks up a second trophy for his eye-catching performances in December.

Well done, Elliot.

Elliot Watt has won the William Hill Premiership player of the month award for December. 

Watt becomes the second Motherwell player to win the accolade this season, following Tawanda Maswanhise’s success in November.

“December was a really successful month for the whole squad,” Elliot Watt stated.

“To win this award is a real delight, but I can’t emphasise enough just how much this is an award for the full squad. There have been so many games, and everyone has been needed during this testing period. We picked up some huge points and results, and that only comes from hard work and dedication.

“The feeling around the full club is a positive one, and it’s now our job to keep that feeling going as we tackle January’s fixtures. The manager, his staff, the players and the fan are all a collective here at Motherwell. Together we’ve achieved a lot, but there’s more to come.”

The 25-year-old midfielder has been one of the best-performing players in Jens Berthel Askou’s system since his arrival in the summer.

In the month of December, Watt scored twice and registered one assist. Having missed Motherwell’s first match of the month against Falkirk, the midfielder returned in emphatic fashion, scoring the opening goal in the Steelmen’s 3-0 win over Livingston at Fir Park.

Controlling the midfield and general play in the 0-0 draw against Dundee United, Watt set up teammate Callum Slattery for a late but vital winner against Dundee prior to Christmas.

Playing the full 90 minutes in the narrow defeat to Rangers, he then sealed the three points for Motherwell against Celtic, as the Steelmen recorded their first win over Celtic in ten years.

“Elliot truly deserves all the praise and recognition,” Jens Berthel Askou said.

“He’s been absolutely vital to our progress this season, taking huge steps as a footballer and at a personal level. He’s grown into a highly respected leader within the group, always driving our performance levels to the highest standards.

“Not only has he been an important part in ensuring the right defensive balance in our attacking-minded team, but now he’s also creating memorable moments with extremely important and beautiful goals.”

It was time for the away day of 2026, as the Steelmen headed to a sold-out Easter Road stadium to face Hibernian. 

Labelled as the biggest game of the weekend, it was 5th versus 4th, with the Steelmen backed by almost 1500 travelling fans.

With injuries impacting some of Jens Berthel Askou’s options, Motherwell had the better of the first-half chances but were unable to find the opener. Calum Ward was called into action too as he looked to keep his clean sheet.

But the opener did come shortly after the half time interval when Tawanda Maswanhise slotted past the keeper to net his 14th goal of the season.

They weren’t ahead for long, as the Hibees fought back and levelled the game through Kieron Bowie. The action wasn’t done yet, and had it not been for Sallinger’s reflex saves, Motherwell could have come away with all three points instead of just one from the capital.

A good point nonetheless, as the Steelmen keep up the pace with those above.

Our match against St Mirren on Saturday 21 February has been selected for live TV Coverage.

The game will be shown live on Premier Sports, and will now kick off at 7:30pm in Paisley.

Motherwell will begin their Scottish Cup campaign against Ross County on Saturday 17 January at Fir Park. 

Kick off is 3pm.

How to follow the game

You can buy tickets online now.

Pricing for the match is below.

Season Ticket holders have until Wednesday 14^th January at 5pm to secure their own seat.

The Cooper Bar and Centenary Suite will both open at 12 noon for this match. Drinks and food will be available for purchase in both suites and will re-open for one-hour following the match.

On Match days, the Ticket Office is open from 11am – the ticket office is open until kick-off with no pay gate facility.

If you are outside the UK, you can watch the game via Motherwell TV.

Should you be in the UK, it will be live commentary only.

What else is happening?

Motherwell’s Fortunes

Motherwell were pegged back by Hibernian last time out, as Kieron Bowie’s strike cancelled out Tawanda Maswanhise’s opener in the 1-1 draw at Easter Road.

That was Maswanhise’s 14th goal in all club competitions this season, with the forward scoring in the each of his last three matches for club and country.

Motherwell exited the Scottish Cup at this stage last season after St Johnstone progressed at McDiarmid Park. Ross County are unbeaten in their last four meetings with the Steelmen but two wins in the last six against Motherwell.

Opposition Report

Ross County appointed Stuart Kettlewell as manager on a deal until the end of the season in late December. He got his second tenure at the club off to a winning start with a 2-0 win over Partick Thistle last Friday.

County are now preparing for a midweek KDM Evolution Trophy match on Wednesday night against St Johnstone, before travelling to Fir Park.

There are a few familiar faces within the County squad this season, including Dean Cornelius who came through the Motherwell ranks before moving South in 2023. Former club captain Declan Gallagher joined the Staggies in the summer, with Trevor Carson also in Dingwall currently on loan from Dundee.

Jordan White is still at Ross County, with Motherwell Academy Graduate James Scott also up North with Stuart Kettlewell’s side.

Jens Berthel Askou has been named the Glens Vodka manager of the month for December. 

Having tackled a hectic winter schedule, the Motherwell manager steered to 11 points out of a possible 18. In those six matches, the Steelmen beat Livingston, Dundee and most notably Celtic whilst picking up draws against Falkirk and Dundee United on the road.

Following the team’s 1-0 victory over Dundee, Motherwell completed a ten-game unbeaten run in the William Hill Premiership but also made it seven consecutive clean sheets in the league.

Becoming the first Motherwell manager to win the award in almost three years, Jens Berthel Askou picks up the accolade and recognises the importance of his staff and players for what has been such a successful month on the pitch.

“This award belongs to the entire club, not just the manager,” Jens Berthel Askou said.

“It serves as an acknowledgement that everyone at the club is doing a great job, which is essentially reflected in our performances on the pitch. On behalf of the entire club, I thank you for this positive attention while we remain committed to improving on and off the pitch and reaching out for more.”

Kofi Balmer has joined Bristol Rovers on loan until the end of the season. 

The defender will join up with the Pirates for the remainder of the campaign, having made nine appearances for the Steelmen this season.

“Kofi deserves to play more football than he has done for us this season,” Jens Berthel Askou said.

“He is a great character and a very good player who has found it hard to get the minutes he deserves because of the competition in his position. I’m delighted for him that he’ll get the opportunity to show his abilities and make an impact on a match day.

“He has been a top professional, done well in the minutes he has played and has trained well all season. We know that Bristol Rovers are getting a top player who will add to their team.”

Good luck, Kofi.

Defender Stephen Welsh has returned to his parent club, Celtic. 

Celtic informed the club last night that they wished to exercise the recall option within the loan deal to bring Welsh back to Parkhead.

Signing a season-long loan deal on Deadline Day in August, Welsh made 17 appearances for the Steelmen in all competitions this season.

We want to thank Stephen for his hard work during his time at Motherwell and wish him the very best for the future.

Striker Dionne Brown has left the club to pursue opportunities elsewhere.  

A late addition within the January transfer window, Brown joined the club following a prolific stint in SWPL2, and sought to add competition within the forward line, but will now leave ML1 in search of regular first-team action.

We thank Dionne for her efforts at Motherwell and wish her well for the future.