Stuart Kettlewell in Motherwell contract hope for Dean Cornelius but concedes uncontrollable speculation factor

Stuart Kettlewell insists Dean Cornelius is key to his Motherwell masterplan as he looks to bat off interest in the midfielder from south of the border.

Record Sport revealed this week that a new deal has been tabled to the Well diehard who has swapped a Fir Park season ticket for a regular spot in his boyhood team’s engine room. Charlton Athletic, Bolton and Barnsley are keen on luring the 21-year-old to England knowing that they’d only have to pay limited compensation for a player who is out of contract in the summer. Cornelius is in line to make his 48th top team appearance against Livingston tomorrow.

And Kettlewell said: “Dean has been offered a new contract. He knows how much I value him and how much the club values him. I’ve started him in all but one game and that one he came off the bench and was excellent up at Ross County. That tells you everything that I felt we need a Dean Cornelius in our team. But I can’t control the speculation or interest.

"The only thing I control is that I see a lad that comes in every day fully focused on being a better player and trying to be a really good number eight midfielder for Motherwell. In my tenure he has been outstanding. Hopefully that can be for a longer period.”

Kettlewell has managed to turn around a campaign that was freewheeling towards disaster in just six games at the wheel. Four wins and just one defeat have seen them motor 11 points clear of the Premiership bottom spot and to within seven of the top six.

The new boss insists getting everyone at the club “on board the bus with me” has been key. But he warned anyone that shows signs of complacency over the final eight games will be left out the rest of the journey.

He said: “Everything comes down to people. The