STEPHEN PEARSON is confident he can hit the ground running at Motherwell after signing on for a second time at Fir Park.

The midfielder has returned to the club where he started his career after agreeing a loan deal from Indian Premier League side Kerala Blasters until the end of the season.

He could make his second Steelmen bow against former side Celtic at Parkhead tomorrow night as Ian Baraclough's side look for a much needed Premiership triumph.

Well are currently tenth in the top flight standings and just six points ahead of bottom of the table Ross County.

But Pearson is determined to inspire them for the rest of the campaign and help his new team-mates climb the table in the coming months.

He said: "It is a great club and I am delighted to come back and join them. Hopefully I can help the club push up the league now.

"I am ready to go. I was out [in India] for three months. I trained every day and played 17 games there just before Christmas.

"I have been in training with the lads as well so I am good to go and looking forward to it.

"Coming back to a club where you have been and seeing the familiar faces, there are a few of the lads still here from my first time round, is great.

"It is a great bunch of lads and I can't wait to get started."

After leaving Fir Park a decade ago to join the Hoops, Pearson went on to spend several years south of the border and famously fired Derby County into the Premiership with the only goal of the game in the play-off final at Wembley.

He returns to Lanarkshire with Well struggling at the wrong end of the standings and the 33-year-old said: "They have had a successful couple of years here but it has been a bit more difficult this season.

"But the players are here and they have got good belief. The new manager has come in and from what I have seen in the last week he has been first class."