Hearts have appointed Neil Critchley as their new head coach on a deal until the 2026/2027 season.
The 45-year old was notably assistant manager to Steven Gerrard during his tenure at Aston Villa and spent a large portion of his career nurturing young talent at various age-groups in the Liverpool academy.
His experience as a manager in his own right has ended in mixed fortunes. He achieved success with Blackpool, leading them to the EFL Championship in in the 2020/21 season but also endured a tough spell at Queen’s Park Rangers when he was sacked after only three months.
Speaking to the Hearts website he explained his vision for the top Tynecastle job:
“We want you to be excited by the team that you see on the pitch and come to support. We want to be a team that nobody wants to play.
“When you come to Tynecastle on a Saturday, the feeling should be optimistic and excited to see a team that gives the support reasons to get on their feet. You should be able to see the passion of the support reflected in the team.
“This is an exciting time for the club, and it rightly has high expectations. That starts with a simple objective; winning football matches, and our first opportunity to address that is when we play St. Mirren in Gorgie on Saturday.
“The passion for this football club I’ve experienced in my short time here has warmed me. There’s passion, but also great compassion shown both by the people who work here and the supporters.
“I promise I’ll give this club everything. You very quickly come to understand how much Hearts means to those who care most about it, and how much of a difference it makes to their lives by giving them a successful team.”
