Rangers and Aberdeen tests ones to relish for new Motherwell boss as he looks forward to facing old pals
New Motherwell boss Jens Berthel Askou is relishing the opportunity to lock horns with two old pals in the Scottish Premiership this season.
The Fir Park gaffer knows new Rangers boss Russell Martin having played alongside him during his spell as a player at Norwich City over a decade ago, while Aberdeen gaffer Jimmy Thelin was a rival during his time in Sweden.
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With the Premiership fixtures due out tomorrow, Motherwell's clashes with Rangers and Aberdeen are sure to be ones he looks out for.
Asked if he was looking forward to being reunited with the pair, the 42-year-old said: 'Very much. I haven't spoken to Jimmy yet, but we had a very good relationship when I was in Sweden. He's a very good guy, very respectful, humble and a very good and successful coach in Sweden.
"He's done a fantastic job here since he arrived. They really took off when he came. And I really look forward to meeting him and hearing about his experience in Scotland.
Aberdeen boss Jimmy Thelin with the Scottish Cup -Credit:SNS Group
"And obviously Russ, who was a great teammate back in the days in Norwich, has done fantastic with his career, and I've had contact with him over the years.
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"We actually met, I think it was in 2019, when I was doing my pro licence under 21 Euros in Italy, and suddenly we bumped into each other, and he was also on a pro licence course.
"So it was quite something, it was fun. It's going to be great to see both of them, but also all the other great managers who are here, and doing a good job.
"I look forward to meeting them and getting inspired and getting tested and challenged, so I really look forward to that as well.'
New Rangers boss Russell Martin -Credit:PA
Askou arrives in Scotland with coaching experience at IFK Gotenborg, Sparta Prague and FC Copenhagen but has been an assistant rather than head coach at the latter two clubs.
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However, he is delighted return a management role as he believes that is where he is best suited.
He said: "It [management] is what I feel I'm the best at and what I thrive the most with. My career has taken me different places, some of them unplanned, but that's how football is sometimes," he said of his recent escapades.
"A year ago I had an opportunity to go to a very big club [Sparta Prague] at an early stage in my career and see if I could get a taste of Champions League, which we did. And then after that it brought me to Copenhagen, which is the biggest club in Denmark, and with an opportunity to win something in my home country.
Jens Berthel Askou -Credit:Arkivfoto
"And working with some really, really good people and getting some inside experience from big organisations, top performing at European and international level, which was a great experience for me that I could use in my next step as a manager or a head coach somewhere, which was a special experience winning the double recently.
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"Getting some inside experience from big organisations, top-performing at European and international level, was a great experience.
"And I think I will use some of that experience. I've got a deeper knowledge on things and how to implement things. Even though this is a club with a little fewer resources than the last two clubs I've been in, there's a lot of things and ideas and structure from the bigger organisations I've been in that we can use going forward into the process where we're going now."
READ MORE: Lennon Miller: New Motherwell boss to sit down with Scotland star to discuss future amid interest
READ MORE: Motherwell boss Jens Berthel Askou aims to 'break barriers' in Scottish football as he takes reins at Fir Park
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