Inverness have named former Motherwell boss Terry Butcher as their new manager with Maurice Malpas as his assistant. The former England captain will combine the role with his job as assistant manager to George Burley in the Scotland set-up.

"There's a huge challenge here to be met," said the 50-year-old.

"There has to be a great togetherness and effort in the remaining 15 games.

"I'm sure if the players do preserve their SPL status, they'll be heroes and that's what I'll be stressing to them.

"Obviously, 23 games have elapsed and the club have 17 points.

"There is a lot of ground to make up on the other teams, but Maurice and I are very eager to get to grips with the challenge.

"There's a lot of games to play, including those against teams around us home and away.

"It's down to application, effort and honesty now and I know there's a lot of that at this football club."

Insisting he would be able to fulfil both club and international duties without difficulty, Butcher stressed: "I spoke to George Burley and he gave me very good advice. He had no problems with it.

"You don't get many chances in life. I've had one or two setbacks in management - in the last two jobs in particular, where I very much stepped into the unknown.

"In this instance, it's not like that - I don't know all of the players here that well, but I know the SPL and the Scottish environment.

"Setanta were just fantastic. They said it's in your blood, it's what you want. George Burley was the same, but warned me it had to feel right.

"I spoke to George again late last night and this morning and he was very enthusiastic. If George felt it wasn't right for me then he would have said. I trust him."