Stuart Kettlewell became the latest Scottish Premiership manager to be relieved of his role earlier this week when he was sacked as manager of Kilmarnock after just seven months in charge.
The former Motherwell boss was appointed at Rugby Park in the summer, replacing the outgoing Derek McInnes following his move to Hearts a few weeks earlier. The 41-year-old won just six of his 25 games in charge of the club, and had fallen into the relegation places after a torrid run of 10 games without a win.
Following the club’s decision to part ways with Kettlewell, a statement on their official website said: “This has been a difficult decision taken after careful consideration. We believe there is plenty of quality in the squad and had hoped that results would turn around. Unfortunately, change is now required to best serve the interests of Kilmarnock FC.”
Pundits and fans alike are now speculating on who will step into the Kilmarnock hotseat permanently, with former Rangers, Celtic, and Hearts men reported to be amongst the favourites for the role, according to, according to Gambling.com.
1. Russell Martin - 14/1
Sacked just seven league games into his Rangers tenure, this appointment seems highly unlikely. However, after being linked with various roles since his departure from Ibrox and failing to nail any of them down, would Martin opt to return to Scotland with Killie? Stranger things have happened, though it feels like an extreme long shot. | Andrew Milligan Photo: Andrew Milligan
2. Steven Davis - 12/1
The former Rangers captain is a shock name in the frame for the Kilmarnock job. Currently on the Northern Ireland coaching staff, Davis' only managerial experience came during a two game caretaker spell in charge of Rangers prior to the appointment of Philippe Clement. This one would be a surprise appointment. | ANDY BUCHANAN Photo: ANDY BUCHANAN
3. Neil Critchley - 10/1
Out of work since being sacked by Hearts following his ill-fated six month spell at Tynecastle, the English head coach is an outside bet for the vacant manager's job at Rugby Park. | Ian MacNicol/Getty Images Photo: Getty Images
4. Steven Naismith - 8/1
Has not been involved in club management since being sacked by Hearts last year, taking on a coaching role with the Scotland national team. It feels unlikely he'd want to leave that currently in order to move to Kilmarnock, with a first World Cup since 1998 on the horizon. | SNS Group Photo: SNS Group