First team

Motherwell Football Club are delighted to confirm striker Ross McCormack has returned to the club on a five-month loan from Aston Villa, subject to international clearance.

McCormack, 32, spent two years at Fir Park between 2006 and 2008, helping the club to a historic third-place SPL finish in his second season, striking up a lethal partnership with both Chris Porter and David Clarkson in the Steelmen attack.

It was around that time he won the first of his 13 Scotland caps, making his debut alongside Clarkson against Czech Republic.

He now returns to Fir Park to bolster manager Stephen Robinson’s striking options for the second half of the 2018/19 campaign.

“I am delighted to be back,” McCormack said.

“Although I was a youth player at Rangers, got a good education there and played some first team games, I feel like this was the club that helped launch my career and I will be forever grateful for that.

“I’ve had a frustrating few years and I am desperate to just get back on the pitch again and do what I do.

“I want to put something back in to Motherwell for what they did for me all those years ago. My aim is to come in and score goals, help the team and help develop some of the younger talent in the squad.”

His past form for ‘Well earned him a move to Cardiff City in June 2008. He spent three years in south Wales, notching an impressive 30 goals in 60 starts for the Championship side, prompting Leeds United to sign the player in the summer of 2010 for an undisclosed fee.

Four successful years at Elland Road, netting 58 goals in 130 starts, including winning the English Championship golden boot in 2013-14, persuaded the then-Fulham boss Felix Magath to spend a reported £11m to take him to Craven Cottege.

His red-hot scoring form continued in London when, over his two seasons with the Cottagers, he scored 42 goals in 97 starts.

Roberto Di Matteo then paid the second highest fee in Aston Villa history, at a reported £12m, to take him to Villa Park in August of 2016. However, he fell out of favour and was loaned out to fellow Championship side Nottingham Forest in his first campaign.

He was out on loan again last season, spending another goal-laden spell at Melbourne City where he hit 14 goals in 14 starts for the A-League club.

He was back down under again this term, at Central Coast Mariners, but has cut his time short to return home to Fir Park and line up in claret and amber once again.

“We are delighted to get a player of Ross’ quality at the club,” manager Stephen Robinson said of the move.

“This is a player who has earned over £25 million in transfer fees, is the all-time top scorer in the EFL Championship with a record better than one goal in three games and is experienced at international level.

“However, despite all that, what has impressed me most is his desire to be here, to contribute and put something back in and help us for the rest of this season.

“He has a slight knee injury, that we’ve looked at extensively, which means he will be out for the next few weeks. But we hope to have him involved with the first team come the games at the end of January, or beginning of February.”

Ross will be allotted squad number 44, with youngster Dean Cornelius promoted to number 38 following Alfredo Agyeman’s departure at the end of his contract.