STEPHEN McManus has no concerns that Motherwell will be disadvantaged by a sending off in the William Hill Scottish Cup final despite the fact they have been reduced to 10 men in controversial circumstances twice against Celtic this season.

Stephen Robinson and his players were upset when Cedric Kipre was red carded for a challenge on Scott Sinclair by referee Craig Thomson in the Betfred Cup final at Hampden back in November.

They were also incensed when the same player was ordered off by the same match official in a Ladbrokes Premiership match at Fir Park which they were dominating in March after an incident involving Scott Brown – a punishment that was later rescinded on appeal.

But McManus, the former Celtic captain who is now a first team coach at Motherwell, believes Kipre and the other players who will take to the field against Brendan Rodgers’s side on Saturday will have learned from those games.

He also has no fears that Kevin Clancy, who will take charge of his first Scottish Cup final having previously officiated in the Irn-Bru Cup and Betfred Cup finals, will be overwhelmed by the occasion and make rash decisions.

“What’s happened is in the past,” said McManus. “We’ve got a young group who will make the wrong decisions at times. But what we have is people who understand what to do next.

“The referee has a big part to play. He’ll be feeling the pinch the keep everyone on. You want the game to be won on good play from whatever team wins. You don’t want a referee’s decision to spoil the game or kill it which has happened before.”

McManus, who moved into coaching after bringing his long and distinguished playing career to an end at the start of the season, is confident the Motherwell management team will have their players in the right frame of mind for the meeting with Celtic.

“The manager has played at high level and for Northern Ireland,” he said. “Las (Keith Lasley) is so experienced and Craggs (Stephen Craigan) also got umpteen caps for Northern Ireland. I played in big games myself.

“So the four of us are very experienced. The one thing you don’t need in finals is to be pumped up. To the outside world, who’ve never been in that environment, everyone thinks you go and get pumped up.

“But the team that finishes the game with 10 men ultimately don’t get success. You need to keep a lid on it and keep calm under pressure. As a player and a coaching staff, you need to be able to think clearly.”

McManus, who won the Scottish Cup twice with Celtic during his time with Celtic, admitted he will be jealous of players like Gael Bigirimana, Ryan Bowman, Kipre and Curtis Main when Motherwell walk out of the tunnel just before three o’clock on Saturday.

The former centre half has no concerns that trying to prevent their opponents from becoming the first Scottish club to win a double treble will get to the players because he appreciates from personal experience that trying to stave off relegation is far more nerve-wracking.

McManus played when the Fir Park club took on Rangers in the Premiership play-off two years ago and feels occasions like that, not opportunities to lift silverware, are difficult because of what is at stake for those involved as well as supporters and club staff.

“The pressure of relegation is completely different to the pressure you have in a cup final,” he said. "You are playing for people’s lives and livelihoods. That was the pressure we felt in the play offs. It’s not an experience I’d ever like to go through again.

“It’s great to be involved in these cup finals. Someone like Alan MacDonald our kit man who’s Motherwell through and through, you would love to win the final for people like him.

Stephen McManus was speaking at the launch of the 2018 Scottish FA Grassroots Football Awards, presented by McDonald’s. Nominate any deserving grassroots heroes at www.mcdonalds.co.uk/awards.