Kettlewell up for the challenge

ROSS COUNTY interim boss Stuart Kettlewell is ‘relishing’ the challenge of saving the Staggies from relegation but admits he has an ‘exceptionally hard’ task on his hands. Kettlewell and academy director Steven Ferguson were handed the reins until the end of the season after Owen Coyle resigned last week. But they take over a team three points adrift at the bottom of the Premiership and five points off safety after picking up just 21 points so far this campaign. Ex-County midfielder Kettlewell has been promoted from within after leading the development side to the league title last season and, while admitting he is young for a manager at 33, he insists he has enough experience to give the top job his best shot. ‘It’s always something I’ve had an ambition to do,’ he told STV. ‘People might look and say that, at my age, you are really young in a managerial sense. ‘But I’ve gained an awful lot of experience over the last few years working with the development squad. ‘When is the right time? I don’t think anyone has an answer for that. ‘From my point of view, I’m relishing the challenge and it’s just a case of meeting it head-on and doing it our way. ‘Four wins in 22 shows the size of the task. It’s exceptionally hard, but we need to hit the ground running and win some games to get us out of this position.’ One of Kettlewell’s graduates from the development team, Davis Keillor-Dunn, insisted the club have appointed the right man. He said: ‘For me, he is the man for the job. His ability to bring the best out of the kids is second to none, the best I’ve ever seen.’