Motherwell Hub
Motherwell's new manager Alfred Johansson is keen to promote promising kids to the first team. The 35-year-old Swede, who replaced Jens Berthel Askou at Fir Park last month, spent two-and-a-half seasons in the dugout at renowned Norwegian outfit Rosenborg.
What is Johansson's background?
Johansson's background is in youth football, having worked with the under-17 and under-19 teams in the academy set-up at Copenhagen.
The Lions have done well both domestically and in Europe in recent years thanks to the outstanding footballers they have produced. Roony Bardghji, Mohamed Daramy, Hakon Haraldsson, Rasmus Hojlund, Victor Kristiansen, and Jonas Wind all came through the FCK Talent Department.
How does this relate to Motherwell?
Motherwell have done far better than most of their William Hill Premiership rivals on that front as well – Max Johnston, Lennon Miller, and David Turnbull served the Steelmen with distinction before moving on for six and seven figure sums.
| Category | Stat |
|---|---|
| League standing | 4th in Premiership, 54 pts, 14W-12D-7L from 33 games |
| Recent form | 2W-1D-2L (WWLLD, most recent first) |
| Goal difference | +23 (52 scored, 29 conceded) |
Johansson admitted that he is keen to promote promising kids to his first team during the 2026/27 season and beyond. “I love the energy of youth,” he said. “They bring a lot to the training pitch, to the style of play.”
What comes next for Motherwell?
Johansson looks set to lose Elijah Just, the Motherwell midfielder who scored three goals for New Zealand at the World Cup, and Tawanda Maswanhise, the Zimbabwean forward who netted 22 times for them last season, this summer. But he understands that the Fir Park club need to cash in on their prized assets in order to flourish financially and is determined to develop the young players who are brought in to replace anyone who departs. Motherwell's last result was a 1-0 win over Hibernian on 2026-05-16, and they are currently on a 2-game winning run.
