Alfred Johansson is only 35, but what can be expected from Motherwell under the youngest manager in the Scottish Premiership?
The Swede is confident he can build on the success under former manager Jens Berthel Askou, following his move to Toulouse after guiding the Steelmen to a fourth-placed finish in the Premiership last season.
He has big boots to fill at Fir Park after Askou had supporters off their seats with an attractive style of expansive and effective football as the Steelmen briefly threatened to challenge for last season's league title.
But he is not phased by the challenge ahead.
"I'd rather come to a place where everyone is happy than a place where everyone is sad and frustrated," he told Sky Sports News ahead of their season opener against Hibernian.
"The vibe is brilliant at the place. Everyone is buzzing to get started and so motivated. It's actually easier.
"I'm super excited. It's a new league in a new country, which I've been grown up watching. Really excited to do that."
Johansson never played professional football, instead opting for an academic route to becoming a head coach. He earned a bachelors degree in sports science before completing a postgraduate course in high-performance football coaching.
He also completed his UEFA pro licence - the highest football coaching qualification in Europe - in 2024 while in charge of Rosenborg.
It seems age is no barrier to his ambitions.
In his first season in professional management, he guided Rosenborg to a fourth-place finish in the Norwegian top-flight and secured a return to European football.
They finished seventh the following season, then one win from five league games saw him leave the club in May.
Focus on youth?
A look at Johansson's early career suggests the Motherwell fans can expect an emphasis on youth development.
He began in Sweden working with the youth squads at Enkopings SK before a spell as academy manager at Djurgardens IF.
He then enjoyed success as Copenhagen under-19 head coach, guiding them to UEFA Youth League wins against the likes of Bayern Munich and Manchester United.
Motherwell have already had success from their academy - Max Johnston, Lennon Miller and David Turnbull all impressed for the first team before leaving for substantial fees.
"I love the energy of youth," he said at his first media conference as Motherwell manager.
"I love the energy they bring to the training pitch, to the style of play. It doesn't mean that we're only going to play with young players at all. The experience and quality from some of the players that have been 23, 24, 25, or even older than that is key as well.
"But my upbringing as a coach is as an academy coach. It's coming mainly from Copenhagen. In Denmark, they're renowned for the good quality of youth players going through the ranks, breaking into the first team and then some of them also going abroad to bigger addresses than Copenhagen.
"That's a part of the Motherwell identity. Everyone is so proud of the academy here. That's a part of how a well-run club should be run. I'll only be looking to add to that.
"But the players need to prove themselves. Sometimes they need a little bit of extra time to show themselves, but if they live the values, if they do everything that they can in training, they will get the chance to show how good they are."
They do say age is just a number.
St Mirren's Craig McLeish is only one year older than Johansson. The other clubs have managers in their 40s, 50s and 60s while Celtic have stuck with 74-year-old Martin O'Neill.
