The former Scotland boss today attended training as the club confirmed his appointment on an interim basis following yesterday's sacking of Jim Gannon.

Brown will have an input into preparations for tomorrow's Clydesdale Bank Premier League game at Hearts, should the snow-covered environs of Tynecastle pass a 2pm safety inspection, although youth development chief Gordon Young will pick the team.

Brown, who will be assisted by fellow sexagenarian Archie Knox, admitted the call to help came as a shock, but the 69-year-old is now focused on overturning a four-match losing run.

The former Clyde and Preston manager has not been told how long he will be in charge but Press Association Sport understands it could be February before a permanent appointment is made.

Brown, who was assistant to Motherwell manager Willie McLean from 1974 to 1977, said: "We try to be a safe pair of hands but you are only safe if you win matches.

"We are really determined. Archie and I are really up for this task, and we will give it everything in the short- or long-term.

"I'm not looking at the future, I'm just looking at the present and there is an urgent present here for this football club.

"There is a group of players who are very enthusiastic. You could sense in their eyes they are keen to get out there and overcome the recent indifferent results they have had.

"The tempo at training was excellent. Gordon Young, who was in charge, was absolutely outstanding. The response he got from the players was terrific.

"Gordon is effectively in charge of selection and the team tomorrow. Archie and I will be at the match and we will have an input into the preparation and the pre-match meeting but Gordon knows them."

Brown jumped at the chance to return to football management two years after leaving a consultancy role with Fulham.

"I got a call from the vice-chairman, Mr (Bill) Dickie, saying would I call him back, there is a Motherwell issue he wanted to discuss with me," Brown said.

"I had no inclination at that point that Jim Gannon had left the club so I didn't know what he was talking about. I thought he wanted me to clear the car park or something.

"I was working in the media happily but the chance to get back on the training field and put your ideas to a team appealed to me greatly.

"I was doing a commentary at Bolton-Hull tonight so Kevin Gallacher stepped in to do that. I was doing a game for Radio Scotland at the weekend but those plans have changed, and for the better, because I'm happy to be working with Motherwell.

"It was where I started my coaching in the mid-70s. So I started with Motherwell and I'll finish at Motherwell, sooner or later."

Brown added: "There is no timescale. The indication was it was for the short-term.

"I was told it was Hearts away and then Hamilton, and then Inverness in the cup, and I haven't looked further than that."

However, Brown may be involved in some long-term decision-making with the transfer window approaching.

Charlton full-back Yassin Moutaouakil and Everton pair Lukas Jutkiewicz and John Ruddy are due to leave after the January 2 derby against Hamilton.

"We have a few players on loan and the decision will possibly be ours whether we retain them," Brown said.

"But we will accept the knowledge of Gordon and others and put our own input in.

"I think the loan signings have been good and the impression is they are most favourable.

"In terms of transfers in and out, we haven't really got round to that yet, I've only been here a few hours.

"We will leave the question of the transfer window either until later or until the permanent manager is appointed."

However, Brown added: "The remit is to do the full management role, so that would include signing. We have an excellent scouting system with a very good chief scout, Bobby Jenks, so Bobby will have identified players that might be targets.

"If clubs come in for players, we will have a couple of games to decide the valuation or availability of players who other clubs might want, because there are one or two fine players that I'm quite sure will be targeted by competing clubs."

Meanwhile, Gannon has thanked fans who left messages for him via his personal website.

A brief article revealed Gannon had been advised against responding to supporters individually but would release a statement when possible.

Motherwell chairman John Boyle accused the Irishman, who reportedly attended games at former side Stockport and Crewe on Monday, of lacking commitment to the club by "repeatedly refusing" to sign a contract.