Graham Alexander expresses pride in achievements during 18 months at Motherwell

Graham Alexander has expressed pride in his achievements at Motherwell during his 18-month spell at Fir Park.

The former Scotland international has released a statement thanking the club for the opportunity to manage Motherwell, seven days after his departure.

Alexander left by mutual consent in the wake of Motherwell’s 3-0 aggregate defeat by Sligo Rovers in the Europa Conference League qualifiers, little over two months after securing a fifth-placed finish in his only full cinch Premiership campaign.

Motherwell had won five out of 23 games in 2022 when Alexander left and skipper Liam Kelly revealed his manager felt he could not continue in the face of “toxicity” from fans.

Supporters had been critical of the manager’s style of play, selections and tactics during a 12-game run without a league win at the start of the year and many called for him to leave in the wake of defeat in the Republic of Ireland.

In a statement released through the League Managers’ Association, Alexander said: “Whilst mine and Chris Lucketti’s time at Motherwell Football Club has come to an end, it is a period that I will always remember fondly and be proud of what we achieved during our time in charge.

“First, I would like to thank the board for giving us the opportunity to lead the club and for their continued support throughout my tenure. The staff behind the scenes have been great, and my support staff have been incredible to work with making it a joy to go into work every day.

“It has been a privilege to coach the players and they deserve so much credit for what we achieved. We have made many friends and that means as much to us as our record of results.

“When we were trusted with leading the club 18 months ago, it was a daunting challenge.