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Midfielder Harry Paton has returned to Motherwell on a two- year deal.

The Canadian, 25-year-old, was Stuart Kettlewell’s first addition at the club back in April and made seven appearances towards the latter stages of the 22/23 season.

He made his debut for Motherwell at Easter Road against Hibernian, when he came on early in the second half and went on to play 40 minutes, his first minutes back on the pitch in 11 months.

“Harry showed signs of real quality last season,” manager Stuart Kettlewell added.

“Signing when he did, was really difficult as he had to get up to speed really quickly and help us get over the finish line.

“Now he has the summer to prepare physically and mentally and I’m really looking forward to working with him again.

“He gives us real quality in the middle of the pitch and I have a really good relationship with him personally.”

Picking up a groin injury that ruled him out for the last two games of the season, Paton has signed up for the next two seasons and is looking forward to picking up where he left off.

“It’s great that I’ve been given this opportunity,” Harry Paton said.

“I really enjoyed my short stint here last season and I’m now just focused on getting going again.”

Dean Cornelius has joined League Two side Harrogate Town. 

He played over 50 games for the club, scoring two goals.

The club offered Dean Cornelius a new contract for the upcoming season, however the 22-year-old wanted to pursue opportunities away from Fir Park.

We want to thank Dean for his efforts and wish him well for the future.

Kaitlyn Canavan has joined Motherwell. 

Canavan joins having been with Partick Thistle for the first half of last season.

The 22-year-old is a forward but can also operate in the wider areas of the pitch.

“I feel like I needed a new challenge and fresh start,” Canavan said.

“I was here before when I was younger so I’m glad to be back and finally get this over the line. I feel ready to hit the ground running and see what we can achieve this season.”

Canavan becomes Paul Brownlie’s second summer signing.

“This a great feeling, to eventually confirm Kaitlyn’s arrival at Motherwell,” head coach Paul Brownlie said.

“She has shown incredible levels of professionalism and patience during the whole process and now she can get down to business.

“She has proven herself at the top level and she’ll bring real energy a goals to the team.”

We will be participating in the 2023 NL Cup against Airdrie, Albion Rovers and Cumbernauld Colts.

Our first match is against Airdrie on Saturday 1 July at the Broadwood Stadium.

Kick-off is 4pm.

Tickets cost £10 for adults, with concessions going for £5. The ticket is valid all day, which will get you entry for Albion Rovers v Cumbernauld Colts, which kicks off at 1pm.

The winner our match against Airdrie will face the winner of Albion Rovers against Cumbernauld Colts on Sunday 2 July at 4pm in the final, while the loser will face the loser of the other fixture on the Sunday at 1pm.

Tickets can be purchased online.

With the first-team travelling back from their pre-season trip to Delden, Holland on Saturday 1 July, our squad will be made up of Under 18 players.

Sarah Gibb is our first signing of the summer. 

After coming through the ranks at Glasgow City, centre-midfielder Gibb was promoted to the first-team squad last summer.

She went on to make 10 appearances last season for eventual league winners City.

“I’m absolutely delighted to have signed with Motherwell,” Sarah Gibb said.

“The opportunity to work with Paul, Leanne and all the other staff at the club was an opportunity I couldn’t turn down.

“I’m so excited to meet all the girls and get to know them. I’m looking forward to having a very successful season together and have really great moments as a team.”

Gibb was part of the U19s side that took part in the Under 19s League Cup Final in 2022 and has lifted silverware at Under 15s National Performance Level.

‘I’m pleased to get Sarah’s deal over the line,” head coach Paul Brownlie added.

“We’ve worked extremely hard over the summer to add quality to the squad and Sarah will provide further quality.

“A very talented young player, who we identified very early who has real experiences coming through at Glasgow City.”

Matty Connelly, Ewan Wilson and Sam Campbell have all agreed new contracts with the club. 

Connelly, who spent the second half of the season on loan at Stranraer, has penned a deal which will see him remain at the club until the summer of 2024.

Also penning a contract until next summer is left-back Ewan Wilson.

Wilson was on loan at Albion Rovers last season, making 22 appearances in the process.

Sam Campbell has signed a short-term deal for the upcoming season.

The centre-back picked up a significant knee injury in the summer and missed the majority of the 22/23 season.

Fully recovered, the 18-year-old will look to kick on this season as he aims to make his debut in the claret and amber.

“To get the boys signed up is something I was keen for,” manager Stuart Kettlewell said.

“This club has a long history of bringing through young players, carving them into good footballers and making them better people for it.

“We have high hopes for Matty, Ewan and Sam and we will now work closely with them to try and aid their development.”

Calum Butcher will remain sidelined for the start of the new season and will miss a number of weeks thereafter. 

The English defender was signed in February and was instrumental in a turnaround of fortunes at Fir Park.

Butcher won the coaches’ player of the year award at the end of the 2022/23 season.

However, he picked up a foot injury against Livingston in the penultimate game of last season.

Coming off injured and since undergoing an operation, Butcher now faces a spell on the sidelines as he begins his recovery.

We wish Calum well for his recovery and look forward to seeing him back on the pitch.

Kevin van Veen has joined Eerste Divisie side FC Groningen for an undisclosed fee. 

The Dutch striker, who joined in the summer 2021 from Scunthorpe on a free transfer, has played 83 games for the claret and amber, scoring 40 times and makes the switch to the Netherlands.

Breaking the all-time club record of scoring in 11 consecutive games, Van Veen scored 29 goals in the 22/23 campaign and will go down in the Motherwell FC history books.

Following an initial approach we received some weeks ago and after a number of discussions with the player and his representatives, at a Board meeting last week, the Club reluctantly agreed to sell Kevin van Veen to Dutch side Groningen.

Our strong preference was to retain Van Veen but it became clear that the club was not in a financial position to make a new contract proposal to Kevin that was competitive with what he was being offered by Groningen or to turn down the significant fee we were able to negotiate for a player with only a year remaining on his current contract.

The Club has always been clear that revenue from player trading is required to ensure we are financially stable over the medium and long term.

“Of course, we are disappointed to be losing a player of Kevin’s quality,” Stuart Kettlewell said.

“His effort in my time here has been exceptional and I appreciate his hard work.

“I have a great relationship with Kevin and know how much he loved his time here. I sincerely hope he has a successful time with Groningen and wish him all the best.

“Now, we face a difficult task to replace Kevin but we are working very hard behind the scenes to take this club forward.”

“Leaving Motherwell has been a really difficult decision,” Kevin van Veen added.

“From the day I arrived, I felt loved and I felt at home.

“It has been emotional and a privilege to feel the support from all the fans since day one. From having my own song, to the banners, this has been a special time of my life and I’ll never forget it.

“Breaking the records is one of my biggest accomplishments to date but more importantly, I hope in doing so, repaid the fans for their support.

“I’ll be following Motherwell from now on, every week, and I’ll look back fondly on my time here.

“Thanks for the memories and I’ll miss you all. I am in love….”

Motherwell Football Club wants to thank Kevin for his efforts at Fir Park and wish him the very best going forward.

We can offer the following squad update following the conclusion of the 2022/23 SWPL campaign. 

Players who remain at the club:

• Emily Mutch
• Katie Andrews
• Lauren Doran-Barr
• Georgie Rafferty
• Chelsie Watson
• Jo Addie
• Murron Cunningham
• Amy Anderson
• Kodie Hay
• Katie Rice
• Lucy Ronald
• Gill Inglis
• Leanne Crichton
• Louisa Boyes
• Carla Boyce
• Lori Gardner
• Kaela McDonald-Nguah

Players leaving club:

• Emma Lawton
• Jemma Hughes
• Kerri Halpin
• Summer Keenan

Returning to parent club:

• Niamh Noble – Glasgow City
• Tiree Burchill – Celtic
• Kayla Jardine – Rangers

The club wants to thank every player departing for their efforts at Motherwell and wish them the very best going forward.

Tickets for our 2023/24 Viaplay Cup opener against Elgin City are now on sale. 

Adult tickets cost £12, while concessions are £6.

Tickets can be purchased online, with step-by-step instructions for supporters.

For a disabled ticket, a concessionary ticket should be purchased on Fanbase with entry via gate 4 on the day.  The carer goes free.

We have been allocated 1,000 tickets at Borough Briggs.