Tynecastle manager’s job is vacant and McInnes is a leading contender

Kilmarnock manager Derek McInnes did not attend a club press conference this afternoon amid interest from Hearts. He is currently the leading candidate to replace Neil Critchley as head coach at Tynecastle Park, and did not face media questions ahead of Kilmarnock’s Premiership match with Dundee on Saturday.

Assistant coach Paul Sheerin took his place, as happened previously when McInnes missed a press meeting. Sheerin was asked about Hearts’ interest in the 55-year-old. The Edinburgh News revealed on Monday that Tynecastle officials see McInnes as a strong contender for their managerial vacancy, and Sheerin was coy on the subject. “In football, people move on and it’s constantly changing and evolving,” he said. “I’d like to think that the club are always in a position to be ready if anything was to happen.

“Managers get sacked, managers move on to better things, so there’s always evolution in the game and I’m sure the club will be prepared if they have to be for that eventuality. I’m sure they will be in a position to bring someone else in and move on. That’s constant - every club moves on if they need to. We will just see how that develops, obviously.”

Sheerin added that McInnes’ previous work, particularly at former club Aberdeen, was likely to make him a candidate at Hearts. “I'm certainly not surprised. Like you say, it is speculation and I just read what is printed and take what comes from that. But all of it is absolutely no surprise whatsoever. The job he did up in Aberdeen - they are clubs similar in stature, Aberdeen and Hearts - so it doesn’t surprise me that he's linked to it.”

Hearts have whittled down their shortlist of candidates for the job, with sporting director Graeme Jones leading the search for a new head coach. He will make a recommendation to chief executive Andrew McKinlay and the club’s board on his findings. There is a desire to appoint someone with experience of Scottish football if possible - hence McInnes’ name being high on the list - and Hearts’ recruitment partner Jamestown Analytics is heavily involved in the process.

Falkirk manager John McGlynn was an early candidate considered by Hearts. He won PFA Scotland Manager of the Year on Sunday after overseeing successive promotions to lead the club from League One to the Premiership. It is the first time in 15 years that Falkirk will grace the top flight. His chance of the Hearts job, however, are understood to have reduced in recent days.

The St Mirren manager Stephen Robinson is admired by some inside the Tynecastle boardroom, but McInnes is the leading candidate right now. He holds appeal after his achievements at both Aberdeen and Kilmarnock. He finished second in the Premiership four times with the Pittodrie club, won the 2013/14 League Cup and reached three other national finals. Named Kilmarnock manager in January 2022, he quickly guided the Ayrshire side back to the Premiership. They finished fourth last season to qualify for European football, but currently sit ninth.

Hearts want someone with a proven track record who can guide them back towards a challenging position in the William Hill Premiership. They are not in a rush to name a permanent new head coach and are still mulling over their options as things stand. Intentions are that a new man could be in place before the end of the month. Any move for McInnes would see Kilmarnock entitled to compensation given his contract at Rugby Park runs until summer 2027.