Hearts are closing in on the appointment of their new manager – with just two candidates now in the running.
The initial shortlist has been cut and the final decision is now in the hands of the Tynecastle hierarchy. Record Sport understand it is between an English boss and an overseas coach. Both impressed in initial interviews and have been put in front of the Hearts board as part of the final process. It is likely that Tynecastle chiefs will make a decision on Steven Naismith’s successor over the next 24 to 48 hours if terms and an agreement can be reached.
The board are set to announce a pending partnership with Brighton owner Tony Bloom. His analytical firm will heavily influence Hearts’ recruitment policies and was heavily involved in their manager search before they took it to the interview stage. There were a flood of candidates from home, Europe and beyond for the vacant position, including former QPR boss Gareth Ainsworth.
SK Brann boss Eirik Horneland has been heavily linked with the job but he is not believed to be on the final list of two. Hearts B team boss Liam Fox has stepped up to take the first team for recent games with Ross County and Aberdeen, along with the opening Europa Conference League win away to Dinamo Minsk. A new boss is expected to be in the technical area for the home game with St Mirren a week on Saturday.
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