Stephen Robinson has been appointed the new manager of Motherwell on a permanent basis.

The 42-year old replaces Mark McGhee, who was sacked from the manager's position at the end of February after the team's poor run of form. Robinson has been handed a contract until May 2018.

He will be in the dugout for Saturday's Scottish Premiership home game with St Johnstone.

The club interviewed five candidates, including the club's former midfielder Simo Valakari, before opting to continue with the Northern Irishman at the helm.

"I am absolutely delighted and proud to lead this football club, a club with a rich history in the Scottish game," Robinson told Motherwell's official website.

"My mission from the board is absolutely clear. Firstly, to ensure the team have a strong finish to the SPFL Premiership season and finish as high as we possibly can between now and May.

"Then, to help shape the club going forward with a strong emphasis on hard work, discipline and a real passion and desire for Motherwell FC that the fans can get behind and be proud of."

Club chairman Jim McMahon said: "It was clear that Stephen was the outstanding candidate. He has a real vision of what the club needed in the short, medium and long-term and a plan of how he would implement it.

"His values, skills and attributes matched exactly with the criteria we developed to be the manager of this football club and we wish him every success. I would ask our fantastic supporters to get behind Stephen and the players as we aim to finish the campaign strongly."

Motherwell had only won one game in seven since the start of 2017 under McGhee, with heavy 7-2 and 5-1 defeats to Aberdeen and Dundee respectively.

Robinson, who returned to the club as a coach shortly before McGhee's departure, took interim charge.

He led his side to a 2-1 win over Kilmarnock but lost 1-0 to Aberdeen the following week.

Motherwell, who sit tenth in the league, four points off the bottom of the table, take on Tommy Wright's side in the 3pm kick-off on Saturday.