STUART KETTLEWELL has insisted he’s never regretted his shock decision to resign as Motherwell boss in the face of brutal personal flak from fans which was tormenting his family.
His loved ones suffering over a prolonged period while attending games was his sole reason for walking after two years in the job full of significant achievements.
Three weeks on from his stunning departure – which jolted everyone at Fir Park and took Scottish football by surprise – Kettlewell also revealed in his first interview that staying in position could’ve ultimately led to an explosive confrontation with the senseless minority baiting him and in turn upsetting his children.
The 40-year-old – talking in-depth on a SunSport YouTube One-on-One special – was under no pressure from the Well board to go amid an admittedly poor run of form and results.
But, for all that a second successive defeat from St Johnstone in Perth, and the manner of it again, was cause for alarm for supporters, the fact was Well were still sitting fifth in the Premiership.
Chief executive Brian Caldwell was left gobsmacked less than 48-hours later when Kettlewell told him he was walking away from his contract — and wouldn’t be talked out of it.
Former Championship-winning Ross County boss Kettlewell’s ready to get back in a hot-seat and has already rejected an offer from a club because it didn’t feel 100-per-cent right.
On any regrets, he said: “I don’t, none at all.
“I believe I made the decision for the right reasons.
“I think where the regret would come from would be leaving the group of staff and the players.
“I don’t think there was any willingness from the staff, players, from the chief executive or executive board, for me to leave.
“In fact, numerous occasions on the Monday I made my decision, made it known, quite clearly they tried to talk me out of my decision.
“I am a stubborn person. If I feel something’s crossed the line, or something’s unjust, I make my call.
“It’s not in spite, it’s just something I felt was the right decision.
“That will never take away the fact I want to be a manager and I believe I can do the job — I feel I’ve shown over a period of time I can.
“I don’t just want to be seen as someone who’s clinging on to a job in football for the wrong reasons, although I don’t think I was.
“However, when I feel certain things cross the line…when the reaction’s unfair…then I feel sometimes you have to make a decision, and I did.
“It’s one of the biggest decisions I’ve ever made in my life.
“There’s quite clearly been a build-up.
“My family have had to leave games of football.
“Now, my family’s not precious – my family go to support me, they go to support the team and they sit at times in among supporters.
“We don’t ask for preferential treatment.
“When you’re like the Waltons, and you’ve got so many kids, my wife will take them along. They love going to watch their dad’s team and supporting their dad.
“But when it gets to the stage my missus has to take the kids out because she can see the impact it’s having on them…”
Ketts – seven years a manager and 15-years as a player with the likes of Queen’s Park, Clyde and Ross County – added: “We’re a tight knit family and that clearly has a major impact.
“I’m not asking for a medal for this…
“But when you spend 12, 13 hours a day every day trying to get things right, spending time at a football club, dedicating your life to it, lots of sacrifices, sometimes you don’t see your kids in the morning or when you come back at night, you have to make a decision.
“Where does it get to? I can be a pretty aggressive guy. Is the next stage for me that I want to start jumping over advertising boards and have a confrontation with people directly?
“I’ve got a breaking point, in that sense.”
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