Kevin van Veen handling Motherwell hype as Dutch talisman gets Player of the Year vote amid goal rush

Delighted Motherwell boss Stuart Kettlewell says Kevin van Veen should be a PFA Scotland Player of the Year candidate.

The Dutch talisman bagged his 25th goal of the season to add to Blair Spittal’s early strike during a 2-0 Premiership win over Kilmarnock. It moves Motherwell within touching distance of mathematical safety in the top flight and Kettlewell insists van Veen would get his vote.

He said: “It’s a moment of brilliance for Kevin’s goal. But it’s not just about the player, it’s about the person. He handled himself absolutely brilliantly today. There’s plenty of hype around him and it’s easy to think the players are like robots and can keep just churning it out. You want people to speak about your players when they’re doing well. If I was a player I would vote for him (for PotY). He’s had a brilliant season. You have to pitch his personal achievements up against most in the division. It’s great that at Motherwell we’ve got a striker that everybody is talking about.”

Meanwhile, Derek McInnes can feel the anxiety within Kilmarnock’s support after they slipped deeper into relegation trouble. But the experienced Rugby Park gaffer has vowed to stay calm and keep them up.

Defeat at Fir Park leaves them second bottom of the Premiership table with Dundee United - and just a point clear of Ross County.

McInnes was jeered by his own supporters - 2000 of them in Lanarkshire - for taking off youngster David Watson in the second half. But the Killie boss is adamant that with three home games left to play, he’ll guide the club to top flight safety.

He said: “It was very disappointing. We need better performances than that at this stage of the season. In the coming weeks there will be twists and turns.

“The three home teams in