8.30pm

With the players still on their winter break there doesn't appear to be much happening down Fir Park way at the moment, although here are a couple of stories that made it into this morning's press:

Terry Butcher has reiterated that the club have no need to sell James McFadden.  He said:
"The club is in a much stronger financial position now. McFadden is contracted to Motherwell until 2005 so there's no reason why we can't keep him.  I don't have to sell my top players any more. There will be players leaving in the summer but hopefully he won't be one of them.  I'm confident he will be with us at least until then and there's no reason for him to leave after that.

"We have to be realistic and accept that if an exceptional bid, and by that I mean around £2m, comes in we would have to consider it.  The administrators would also have a say on the matter but at the moment we haven't had any decent offers for James so it is all hypothetical.

"He has still not played a full season due to injury and suspension so he is not yet fully prepared to make the next step in his career.  I think it would be a good move if he stayed a bit longer as he will develop more if he is playing every week."

David Clarkson scored for Scotland Under-21s in a 6-5 defeat by German 2nd Division side SC Freiburg on Wednesday night.  Meanwhile, Clarkson's Motherwell team mate Shaun Fagan, who is also training with the U21s in the Algarve, has admitted that his career only took off as a result of the club being put into administration:
"I have played a lot more first- team games than I thought I would and it's been great.  I have come on so much more from playing in the senior team, rather than in the Under-21 league.  The difference is huge in terms of pace and skill. I have progressed so much better in the first-team than I would have if I hadn't had this chance.  I'm a far better player now than I would have been playing in the reserves.

"Scoring against Celtic, my boyhood heroes, was a real dream. When the ball went in I couldn't believe it because that is what I had always wanted to do.  Then, when I got sent off at Parkhead, I experienced the downside. I felt I'd let everyone down, but it's something I've learned from and I've come through a better player."

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