Motherwell

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Jens Berthel Askou believes Motherwell have appointed "the perfect man" in Max Rogers as his new assistant manager.

Previous number two Ahmet Koc left the club last week following the departure of German manager Michael Wimmer in May.

Former St Mirren youth coach Rogers, who has also worked in the USA and England, came out on top among "high interest" in the role.

Rogers, 34, was most recently assistant manager at Wigan Athletic and worked with former Scotland international, Shaun Maloney.

"In my discussions with the manager, I was really impressed with his vision for the team along with the winning mentality that he wants to create at the club and in the squad," Rogers told club media.

"I believe my skills and experience align well with and complement the current coaching staff."

Askou added: "Max fits the profile we have been looking for perfectly."

"In Max, I'm convinced we've found the perfect man to help drive and accelerate the development of Motherwell.

"He is extremely passionate, detailed and hard-working, and has an innovative approach to his work.

"At a young age, he has gained a lot of valuable experience through different coaching roles and environments with very talented and modern-thinking people., and on top of that, he has a solid, positive and likeable personality that will inspire and motivate his surroundings.

"We have gathered positive and strong references on Max, and the interviews and talks have confirmed our initial feeling."

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Motherwell are yet to receive a "firm bid" for Lennon Miller, says the teenage midfielder's father.

Speculation continues to surround the future of the 18-year-old, who has just one year remaining on his Fir Park contract.

The youngster, who ended a stellar campaign by impressing for Scotland earlier this month, is due to return to Motherwell on Monday for pre-season training.

On what the future holds for Miller, his dad Lee said on BBC Sportsound: "We'll just wait and see what happens, but he just ultimately wants to play football.

"In terms of decision-wise, we'll sit down and weigh up the pros and cons about different things, but there's not been a firm bid put in place for Lennon."

With a number of Miller's international team-mates excelling in Italy, such as Billy Gilmour, Scott McTominay and Lewis Ferguson, the teenager's father hinted that his son is open to moving abroad.

"[Scottish players] are being given an opportunity, they're being given a platform to go and express themselves and they've been shown a lot of faith abroad," the former Scotland and Aberdeen striker said.

"It's only going to benefit the national team in years to come."

We asked for your views on Motherwell's Scottish Premiership fixtures and how they will be faring after 10 games.

Here's what some of you said:

Clare: Well, well, well, what can I say, I am feeling very positive about where the new manager wants us to finish, which is in the top six. Our opening day fixture against Rangers, well at least it's at home. All I can say for the season ahead is 'bring it on' because this is my fourth season being a season ticket holder and I am just so excited and pumped. Time will tell if my feelings will change.

Taylor: Twenty points after 10 games, you heard it here first. Askou-ball from the start!

D: A tough start certainly, but if we have aspirations of top six then we need to get results in some of these games. Games against the Old Firm don't define our season, but we need to get points against the rest of the sides. Will be interesting to see what style the new manager implements.

Andy: Sadly I think we are heading for relegation this year. And we will be in the bottom four after the first 10 games.

James: Tough start so need to get up and running and playing with confidence - will need to boost the squad immediately.

Thomas Duncan
BBC Sport Scotland

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Clearly an 18-year-old who has played 76 first-team games, captained his club, and made his international debut possesses talent which is going to attract attention.

Since his debut Lennon Miller's close control, passing range, and vision have caught the eye.

Clubs across the world are data driven, always looking for young players with positive numbers who can be bought at a relatively low price, developed, and sold on.

A look at some of the numbers for central midfielders in the Scottish Premiership last season demonstrates why Miller would appear in lots of databases.

Already an adept set-piece taker, Miller grabbed eight assists for Motherwell, a tally only bettered by Rangers' Nicolas Raskin among central midfielders in the league.

Mostly a deeper-lying midfielder, he was deployed as one of two number 10s in the early part of the campaign for Motherwell, and ranked third among midfielders for chances created by the end of the season, as well as deliveries into the box.

As for the dirtier side of the game, only Celtic captain Callum McGregor won the ball back more times than Miller.

The teenager was also the most fouled central midfielder in the league, a nod to his ability to use his body to protect the ball in tight spaces, and his dribbling prowess too.

His passing accuracy as a whole is further down the charts, which hints at an area for development, but Motherwell's direct style and Miller's tendency to play riskier passes forward could also be behind the lower figure.

Of course individual statistics are not themselves the basis for signing players.

But what has been striking about Miller has been the calmness and confidence with which he has played since his debut.

He has often been keen to take responsibility, for example scoring an injury-time penalty against Dundee United to send Motherwell to the semi-finals of the League Cup.

Miller was similarly unbothered by his first Scotland start against Liechtenstein, putting in a standout display.

"He makes football look easy regardless of what game he plays in," his former Motherwell team-mate Tony Watt posted on X after that game.

Read more: What next for highly-rated Motherwell teenager Miller?

Opta have crunched the numbers to rank the difficulty of each Scottish Premiership club's first four fixtures of the 2025-26 season.

According to their data model, St Mirren have the toughest start, followed by two clubs helmed by new managers, Dundee and Motherwell.

As for the easiest, Hibernian and capital rivals Hearts should got off to a flier, right?

Take a look below to see where your side places...

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Aside from the first game of the season against Rangers, all dates are subject to change as a result of broadcast and other requirements.

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See Motherwell's full fixture list here

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If Jens Berthel Askou was seeking a simple start to the Scottish Premiership, he might want a word with the SPFL.

The Motherwell boss welcomes his former team-mate Russell Martin - and his Rangers side - to Fir Park on Saturday, 2 August at 17:45 BST in the first game of the league season.

If that wasn't a dive into the deep end enough, away trips to St Mirren (9 August) and Hearts (23 August) follow, before Stuart Kettlewell makes his return to ML1 with his new Kilmarnock side on 30 August.

Fast forward to a six-game December and it's not the most wonderful time of the year for Well.

Two days after Christmas, Motherwell travel to Ibrox before Celtic come to town on Tuesday, 30 December for a 19:45 kick-off.

The pre-split campaign ends with a trip to Tynecastle on Saturday, 11 April.

Looking at the fixture list, where do you think Motherwell will be after 10 games? Tell us here.

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Jens Berthel Askou's first Scottish Premiership game as Motherwell manager will be at home to Rangers.

The match will take place on Saturday, 2 August at 17:30 BST, with Well's first away fixture against St Mirren on 9 August at 15:00.

See Motherwell's Scottish Premiership fixtures in full here.

Where do you think Well will be after 10 games and what do you make of how the fixtures have fallen? Share your views here.

No sooner does the season finish and we start looking forward to key dates for the next campaign - and that will be a lot easier to do on Friday when the Scottish Premiership fixtures are released.

That's right, that special day in the calendar is almost here already. The day when you'll learn details of derby fixtures, Christmas opponents and the run-in to the split.

This page will bring you all the fixtures when they drop at 09:00 BST on Friday and we'll be giving you the chance to have your say on how things look.

The new campaign kicks off on the weekend of Saturday, 2 August and will conclude on Sunday, 17 May 2026.

Jane Lewis
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Jens Berthel Askou says "fantastic" Lennon Miller's future has "not been top of my mind" - but the Motherwell boss admits "there probably is" interest in the teenager.

The 18-year-old midfielder has been given extended time off after impressing in his first start for Scotland in Liechtenstein last week.

Speculation continues to surround the future of Fir Park youth product, who has a year left to run on his contract.

But Askou is unsure whether this summer is the time when Miller will "take the next step" in his career.

"There probably is [interest in him], but it's not been top of my mind," the new Well manager said.

"I'll probably need to get that update myself. I know he's a fantastic player, he's just gone into the national team, he's a big profile for Scottish football.

"For sure he's going to face a fantastic international career, then we'll see over time if it's going to be this summer that he will take the next step.

"I haven't met him yet because he's got a few extra days off, so I think it would be fair for me to meet him first and have some good discussions with him before I answer any specific questions about his future."

Jane Lewis
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter at Fir Park

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As Jens Berthel Askou approached the top table in the Fir Park press room, where he would face the media for the first time as new Motherwell manager, we were all greeted with a handshake, a big smile and a friendly "hello".

It was a nice touch from the Danish coach, who left his post as Copenhagen assistant to become the Lanarkshire side's third boss in five months.

Askou was quick to mention the club's history and community feel, even though he had only been in the country for 24 hours.

During that short time he mentioned he fell victim to the school-run traffic a stone's throw from Fir Park. That only added to the community vibe.

He was big on the club board, their ambitions, and was also enthusiastic and clear when speaking about his own hopes, especially on how he wants his team to play.

"Some dynamic football, with big intensity," he said. Music to the ears of Well fans, you would think.

He came across well and was confident when delivering his ideas and aspirations for the immediate and long-term future.

From our early interactions, he seems to have real belief in his own ability as a manager and coach and is determined to "break barriers" in Scottish football.

Jane Lewis
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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New Motherwell manager Jens Berthel Askou has been speaking to the media for the first time since his appointment.

Here are the key points:

• Motherwell's "new board and new ideas" were among the reasons for him being attracted to the job, along with the club's history and traditions.

• The Dane feels being the boss suits him best and that serving as assistant at his past two clubs - FC Copenhagen and Sparta Prague - has given him "a great experience to use in my next step as a manager". He adds: "I've got a deeper knowledge on things and how to implement them."

• He wants to play "dynamic football with players who want the ball and who want to take the initiative". Askou says his style of play with "big intensity" will be attractive to watch.

• The 42-year-old says it's too early to set targets, but sees no reason why the club can't reach the top six more often than they have done in recent years.

• He acknowledges it will take time to "stabilise the club" and they "need some time to get things in the right direction".

• Askou is looking forward to becoming reacquainted with Russell Martin (played with him at Norwich) and Jimmy Thelin (both managed in Sweden). He says he didn't speak to them about this move, but is keen to catch up with them.

• On Lennon Miller, Askou knows he's an exciting player and has heard all the transfer rumours, but as far as he's aware there is no news on his future. He hasn't yet met Miller.