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We have given Stephen Robinson permission to speak to the Irish FA regarding the vacant role of Northern Ireland manager.

On Tuesday, the governing body sought consent to interview Stephen for the job, which we reluctantly granted.

We have expressed in the strongest possible terms that we want him to stay with us.

The work he has done so far to take the club to two national cup finals, bring through young talent and finish third in last season’s Premiership has been exceptional.

As we prepare to embark on a UEFA Europa League campaign, it is our hope that Stephen will stay to continue the work that has proven so successful.

Declan Gallagher is the new captain of Motherwell Football Club.

The Scotland international defender will be accompanied by goalkeeper Trevor Carson, who will assume the role of vice-captain.

A recruit from Livingston in the summer of 2019, Declan takes on the armband from Peter Hartley, with his former defensive partner having left the club in May.

Since his arrival at the club last year, the 29-year-old has proven himself to be an accomplished leader, both on and off the pitch.

He was rewarded for his performances with a first call into the Scotland national team in late 2019, going on to win two caps.

Trevor has been at the club since 2017 and is an influential figure around Fir Park.

Having played in both our cup final appearances in 2017/18 and established himself for the Northern Ireland national team, his progress was significantly hampered by the onset of deep-vein thrombosis in November 2018.

He overcame the threat that illness posed to his career, working his way back to full fitness. He has had to bide his time to play again, given the form of Mark Gillespie last term, but is now in line to reassume the goalkeeping spot.

“Declan is a leader who commands respect,” manager Stephen Robinson said. “He has been superb since he came here.

“Both Declan and Trevor are full internationals. They are influential in the dressing room and are respected and liked by all of our players.

“With both leading the dressing room, I am confident they will continue the positive impact our former captain Peter Hartley had on the players and in setting the standards we demand.

“I considered and spoke to a number of players for the roles but they were younger, and I want them to concentrate on football and purely on continuing to develop their careers, instead of dealing with the other aspects the captaincy brings.”

Scott Fox is our fourth new signing for the 2020/21 season.

The experienced goalkeeper arrives at Motherwell to challenge for the number one position.

Fox has amassed 342 career appearances across the top two divisions in Scotland, having been on the books at Celtic, East Fife, Queen of the South, Dundee, Partick Thistle and Ross County.

“Scott adds really good experience to the goalkeeping department and will compete for a place with Trevor Carson and PJ Morrison,” said manager Stephen Robinson.

“Scott’s attitude has impressed me in the short space of time he’s spent with us so far. He’s a ‘keeper with Premiership experience and will be a strong addition.

“He has also worked with our goalkeeping coach Craig Hinchliffe previously and came with a strong reference from him.

Fox, 32, has signed a one-year deal with the club.

“I’m delighted to have joined Motherwell,” said the goalkeeper.

“I’ve been training with the team for the past week and settled in quickly, and can’t wait to get started proper.

“I’m here to fight for the right to play. Trevor is a tremendous goalkeeper who plays at international level and it’s my job to push him as much as I possibly can.

“It’s an improving side which want to be challenging up the top end of the table and obviously this year there’s European football. It’s a great time to join.”

We wish to clarify remarks made by our former player Richard Tait on the BBC Sportsound programme on 21 June 2020.

Firstly, we are not normally moved to make public statements on matters relating to player contracts. We always, with very limited exceptions, conduct all of our business in private.

However, Richard’s comments to the BBC require us to make completely clear the events, which led to his decision to leave the club at the end of his contract on 31 May 2020.

Earlier this year, the club entered negotiations and made contract offers to Richard, which he rejected. He is perfectly entitled to do this, as we would expect over the course of any negotiation.

Shortly after the league was stopped due to the Covid-19 outbreak, with the majority of our staff working from home, Richard returned a signed contract to the club, accepting an offer made to him which he had previously rejected. This contract was signed only by him, and not by any member of staff at Motherwell FC.

At this point, we informed Richard that we would not be in a position to sign off on the contract, given we were in the midst of complete uncertainty over our financial position going forward in the wake of a global pandemic.

Nevertheless, we reassured him we wanted him to stay at the club, and we would be back in touch once we had certainty over where we stood.

Towards the end of May, Richard was offered revised terms, with the full explanation this was being done in light of a predicted much-reduced football budget.

Richard told the BBC that it was his view “[Motherwell] were taking advantage of a bad situation” in doing this.

As a fan-owned club operating in hugely uncertain financial times, it is imperative that the board exercise the maximum caution to safeguard the club.

At the time Richard was offered revised terms, we were unsure when the 2020/21 season would commence. We are still in the situation where we do not know when a crucial revenue stream – having supporters in the stadium – will be available to us again.

Despite this, we offered Richard a new contract in the hope he would stay with us. The basic salary of this contract was less than the previous offer, but on no lesser basic terms than he had been on at the club during his time here.

It also included the incentive for us to pay for him to undertake coaching qualifications, with a view to him being a member of our coaching staff once his playing career came to a close.

Additionally, we made a promise to Richard that we would look to review his contract at a later date, once there was greater clarity over supporters being able to return to stadiums.

We are disheartened that someone who has been part of the fabric of our club for four years would make an accusation that we would try and take advantage of a grave situation like Covid-19.

It should therefore be noted that Richard chose to reject the new terms offered to him by the club. We did not withdraw the opportunity for him to remain part of Motherwell Football Club. He is fully entitled to follow this path and we respect his right to do so.

Richard remains part of the history of this club. As captain of the William Hill Scottish Cup semi-final winning side over Aberdeen, a member of the squad which reached two cup finals, as a man who made 142 appearances for our club and as a hugely respected and well liked figure at Fir Park.

We reiterate our sincere thanks for all he gave to the club and wish him all the best in his future career.

Paycare will once again feature on the back of our first team home and away kits in 2020/21.

A leading not-for-profit organisation which provides cashback on everyday healthcare costs, as well as wider mental, financial and physical support, Paycare will adorn the bottom of our jersey for another year.

“The team at Paycare are delighted to continue our sponsorship of Motherwell Football Club for the 2020/2021 season,” Kevin Rogers, CEO of Paycare, said.

“Whilst this may be a season like no other, we are excited to see the Steelmen start the year with a third-place finish to last season under their belts.

“Paycare is honoured to continue to support the health and wellbeing of the Motherwell fans and the wider community. Best of luck with the new season. ‘Mon the Well.”

Alan Burrows, chief executive of Motherwell FC, added: “We’re absolutely delighted to be extending our partnership with Paycare.

“The steadfast support of Kevin and his team during this challenging time is very much appreciated by everyone at the club. We look forward to growing our partnership this season.

Our first team squad numbers for 2020/21 can now be confirmed.

New signings Ricki Lamie and Jordan White take up the numbers four and 18 respectively. Nathan McGinley will wear number 5.

David Turnbull will wear the number eight, while Liam Grimshaw moves to the number two shirt, Tony Watt takes 32 and Sherwin Seedorf number 17.

Barry Maguire, Yusuf Hussain, Harry Robinson and PJ Morrison have all signed new deals, and will wear 15, 27, 21 and 23 respectively.

Motherwell 2020/21 squad numbers

Although unlikely, please note that these numbers are subject to change, prior to the first match of the 2020/21 campaign.

With National Men’s Health Week taking place from June 15-21, the focus this year is naturally on the global Coronavirus pandemic and the impact this is having on men in particular.

Our health and wellbeing partners Paycare have passed on the following advice to help improve your health and wellbeing during this week and beyond.

It’s a well-established fact that men have traditionally been more reluctant than women to access professional healthcare support and are more impacted by conditions such as diabetes and heart disease.

The rise of suicide rates has also been of particular concern year on year, and of course the spread of Covid-19 throughout the globe in 2020 has sadly seen more male lives lost.

Seek Support

Life is stressful, busy and pressurised at the best of times. Throw in a global pandemic, a UK-wide lockdown, mass redundancies and company closures, childcare juggles, and the fear of catching Covid-19, and for many this will be the most stressful time they’ve ever been through.

And yet there’s a worry that men could be shouldering these extra burdens silently. Traditional gender roles which saw men portrayed as strong and not emotional sadly still resonate in some people’s minds and are thought to be one of the causes behind fewer males asking for mental health support.

Less than a third of the people accessing certain talking therapies are male, and yet men are three times more likely to take their own lives, with those in their late 40s are particularly at risk. In 2018, there was a significant increase for the first time in a few years and it would be heart-breaking to see Covid-19 claim even more lives through suicide in addition to those who have died from the virus itself.

That’s why it’s imperative anyone feeling stressed, depressed, or anxious reaches out and talks to someone – whether that’s phoning Samaritans, letting your family know, or setting up a video call to talk with your best friend. By discussing feelings and emotions more, we can work together to normalise more of these conversations — a potential game changer for the road to recovery.

Get to the doctor

While all non-essential outings are currently restricted, booking a doctor’s appointment if needed is absolutely essential and shouldn’t be avoided. This applies whether the issue is a mental health problem or a physical one. Research shows men visit their doctor on average four times a year – compared to six for women – and the pharmacy four times too – compared to 18 for women. Nine out of ten men also said they wouldn’t call their GP unless they thought it was a serious problem.

A good alternative, if getting to the doctor is an issue, is organising a video or phone call with a GP app service, which may be provided as part of your company’s health cash plan or plan policy. But if you haven’t got access to one, then looking after yourself by getting symptoms checked out by a professional face-to-face is of paramount importance.

Use your exercise time

We’ve been lucky that so far in the UK, we’ve been able to get outside and exercise as long as we’ve stuck to social distancing guidelines. A 30-minute walk can do the power of good to mental wellbeing, by boosting our mood, increasing self-perception and reducing stress by producing feel-good hormones.

You might not be running or cycling a marathon each night – and it’s absolutely fine if that doesn’t appeal to you – but if you’re able to get out and about for fresh air, even if it’s just once or twice a week, this will do wonders for your wellbeing and all-round health.

There are endless benefits to walking, including: it’s lower impact so kinder on your joints especially for those who have problems with their knees, hips or ankles; it boosts your mood and can even improve fatigue and depression; it prevents weight gain (and can help those looking to lose weight if done regularly enough); and it can improve your circulation and posture too.

Plus, it’s free, you can pop some music or a podcast on while you do it, and it can be a welcome break if you’ve been sat at a computer all day working.

Watch your waistline

Lockdown has not been the time that people want to think about dropping a few pounds or toning up for holidays that might not even happen – but lying on the sofa every evening eating and drinking to your heart’s content is bound to have a negative impact on your health and wellbeing, especially if the situation continues for an extended period.

We’re not at all suggesting that the occasional treat should be off the menu, but it’s worth noting that men are slightly more likely to be diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes (56%) and one of the best ways to avoid the condition is to manage your weight and eat a balanced diet.

Many heart conditions are also more prevalent in males. For example, abdominal aortic aneurysms (where the main blood vessel from your heart down your chest and abdomen swells) are six times more likely to happen to men than women, and again a balanced diet and healthy weight are recommended to reduce your chances7 of suffering with that condition.

Talk to your employer

If you’re working through the pandemic, either at work or your regular workplace, please open up to your boss about anything that they can do to support you. Is there a Mental Health First Aider in your workplace who you could talk to?

Employee Assistance Programmes are another popular service which can provide access to confidential help about a range of issues including financial, mental, and relationship worries, if speaking to your boss directly isn’t an option you’re comfortable with (plus it’s done over the phone so you might find it easier than talking face-to-face).

Fighting the urge to tell your boss you’re ‘fine’ when they ask and telling them truthfully about any work-related problems you’re coming up against during the lockdown can have a really positive impact, and ensure your organisation is aware of the challenges you’re facing – and most importantly, what they can do to reduce them.

Our first qualifying round match in the 2020/21 UEFA Europa League will be played on 27 August.

UEFA have announced that all qualifying round matches in the competition will be played in a single leg.

The draw for the round will determine whether our game will be played at Fir Park or at the opposition’s venue.

A date for the draw will be announced in due course. Once an opponent is confirmed, we will update supporters on arrangements.

Should the Steelmen progress, the second qualifying round will be played on 17 September, with the third qualifying round a week later on 24 September.

The play-off follows on 1 October, before the commencement of the group stage on 22 October.