McMANUS HAS MORE TO OFFER AT FIR PARK

BEING on the wrong end of a 7-0 scoreline, however meaningless it might be in the greater scheme of things, would hardly seem a fitting note for Stephen McManus to end his association with Motherwell. Whether the 33-yearold will be back in claret and amber next season is, though, still up in the air. A wider series of cuts being made to the budget at Fir Park have impacted on the terms being offered for a contract extension. No agreement has yet been reached. While Sunday’s mauling at Parkhead was one all in Mark McGhee’s squad would rather forget, it was also a 40th appearance of the season for McManus. That number hardly points to a player ready to ease up in his career. Indeed, McManus feels he still has much to offer the club he joined back in 2013. ‘I have really enjoyed my time at Motherwell,’ said the ex-Celtic and Scotland defender. ‘The most important thing for me is playing games. ‘I’m proud of the fact there are not many who have played more games than me since I came here. ‘I want to continue that. I feel fit, healthy and am bringing a lot to the party. You’re an important part of the club and I’d like to stay. ‘But you are wanting things to be fair. I’ve got no doubt the club will be fair with me and I will be fair with them. ‘At this stage, the negotiations are ongoing. My contract expires at the end of the month. ‘Maybe it would have been better to talk about contracts before the game on Sunday!’ Keith Lasley, Steven Hammell, Scott McDonald and Craig Samson are in the same position as McManus. ‘We’ll see who’s here next season,’ he added. ‘It’s difficult.’