McGhee relishing Well job

McGhee, 50, has penned a three-year-deal at Fir Park and despite enjoying a degree of success in England, the Motherwell job is his first managerial role in Scotland and he cannot understand why he fell off the radar in his homeland for so long.

"I was a little bit surprised," he said. "I have had good times down south but, at no time when jobs have become available, have Scottish clubs been banging my door down. Sometimes, I've wondered why that was."

The former Aberdeen and Celtic striker brings with him a wealth of experience from his time south of the border with Reading, Leicester, Wolves, Millwall and Brighton.

Once made aware of Motherwell's interest, McGhee immediately sought the advice of some of the most prominent names in Scottish football, including Alex McLeish and Gordon Strachan.

Bored of life in the middle tier of English football and desperate for a new challenge, he admits it was an easy decision to come to Fir Park after being given the green light by the managers of Scotland and Celtic.

"I spoke to everyone and their brother," he said. "I spoke to big Alex, who knows the club, and Gordon, who has been here for a couple of years now and who has played against Motherwell often enough.

"I also spoke to Archie Knox and others who are in the game as well. I spoke to as many people as I could about how they feel about the club. I collected as much information as I possibly could before making my decision but ultimately it was an easy decision.

"I had become a little bit tired of doing the the promotion and relegation thing in the First Division and the Championship - I was looking for a fresh challenge."