SIMO VALAKARI is one of the candidates already to have applied to become the new Motherwell manager less than 24 hours after Ian Baraclough's departure.
The Fir Park side's 3-2 extra-time defeat to Morton in the League Cup on Tuesday night spelled the end for the former Sligo Rovers during his nine-month spell in charge.
Over 60 applications were received from around the world last year following Stuart McCall's resignation, with Baraclough eventually given the nod on the back of his vision for Motherwell both on the park and off of it.
Over half that amount have already been in touch with the Lanarkshire side, whose board are set to convene on Monday to examine the response and decide how to proceed.
We can exclusively reveal Valakari is one of them. Motherwell fans will remember the Finn for his four-year spell in claret and amber back in the mid to late 1990s where he notched up over 100 appearances after being brought in from FinnPa by Alex McLeish.
He would then go on to seal a switch to Derby County in 2000, before enjoying a spell in the MLS with Dallas Burn before returning to his homeland to finish his career at TPS Turku.
Valakari spent a year managing AIFK in Finland in 2010, before returning to KaPa for a season after that as youth coach.
The former central midfielder then joined SJK Seinajoki in 2012. He won them the Second Division title in 2013 before taking them to runners up spot last year in the top flight. He also led them to the League Cup in 2014. They currently sit top of the table with 29 games played.
It is understood that despite his success in Finland, the now 42-year-old is keen on progressing his career and the vacant post at Fir Park is one that he is attracted to.
Meanwhile, former Kilmarnock and Morton boss Kenny Shiels has indicated he would be interested in becoming the latest man to take charge of the club.
The Northern Irishman, who applied for the post last year, said: "I'm very interested because I see it as a good fit for me.
"It's a provincial club and I've had a period now where I've worked in a [Scottish FA] youth academy in Scotland and I can see so much good going on down there with [academy director] Scott Leitch at Motherwell's academy,
"There is a good conveyor belt coming through and I see massive potential at that club, I really do."
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