Robbie Neilson's tenure as Hearts manager has come to an end after the Tynecastle hierarchy made the decision to part ways on Sunday.
The 42-year-old returned to the club in June 2020 having had a spell in the hot seat between May 2014 and November 2016, delivering third place last season after guiding Hearts back to the top-flight at the first attempt. The Gorgie side were 10 points clear of Aberdeen come the turn of the year this time around but five defeats on the bounce has seen them crash out of the Scottish Cup and slip down to fourth in the Premiership. The potential prize money from finishing best of the rest is staggering with a lucrative Europa League playoff on the horizon and failing that guaranteed group stage football in the Europa Conference League, and that could have been a factor in the Hearts board's ruling.
Two games remain until the league split and it remains to be seen what route Hearts sporting director Joe Savage and chair Ann Budge will take as they sound out a potential successor. Will they opt for someone such as St Mirren manager Stephen Robinson who has experience within the division? Will they recruit from within, or decide to scout further afield in the hope of attracting a big name to the capital?
Record Sport looks at some of the candidates who could replace Neilson.
Stephen Robinson (St Mirren)
Robinson has St Mirren on course for a top six finish and Europe is firmly in their sights. He has made the Buddies hard to beat and if he was in the minds of senior Tynecastle figures then his audition couldn't have gone much better with Curtis Main and Alex Gogic ensuring St Mirren ended Neilson's Hearts tenure through a 2-0 win on Saturday.
Robinson previously had a stint in charge at Motherwell before a short spell in England with Morecambe and may be tempted by the challenge of managing one of Scotland's top clubs. Especially given his knack of finding talented players at a low-cost.
Lee McCulloch (Hearts assistant)
McCulloch became Hearts first team coach in August 2020 after having a taste of management while at Kilmarnock a few years earlier. The club statement announcing Neilson's departure failed to mention the future of his backroom team and could Hearts follow Aberdeen and Motherwell's fate by appointing someone who is already at the club as his successor.
Kevin Muscat (Yokohama Marinos)
Mucat emulated Ange Postecoglou's success by winning the J-League last season and is tipped to make his way into management in Europe. Hearts have a plethora of Australian talent so the Aussie could be a perfect fit to complement the squad that's at his disposal. On-loan forward Garang Kuol had been rarely see Neilson while the set up often wasn't suited to Cammy Devlin's strengths but Muscat could be the man to get the best out of the Aussie A-listers at Tynecastle, while his knowledge of Angeball could bring an interesting dynamic to games against the Parkhead giants.
Frankie McAvoy (Hearts academy director)
McAvoy switched Preston North End for Hearts last February and is no stranger to Scottish football having been a coach under Alex Neil at Hamilton as well as having a spell at Dunfermline. If the Jambos decide that an interim short-term appointment is the way to go then 55-year-old McAvoy may well be one of the contenders.
Neil MacFarlane (Brentford B)
MacFarlane is currently head coach of Brentford's 'B' team and is held in high regard as someone who could make the step up into first team management. The 45-year-old played for Hearts during a four-year period between 2002 and 2006, and that connection could help tempt him back into senior management. At 45, he's one of the younger options and his only previous top job experience was with Kidderminster Harriers.
Ian Holloway (Free agent)
The former Blackpool and Queen's Park Rangers boss held talks with Motherwell after Steven Hammell was dismissed in February. Interim manager Stuart Kettlewell was ultimately appointed permanently but the fact Holloway was shortlisted and seemingly open to the opportunity could interest the Hearts board. Holloway has experience of working on a tight budget and knows how to get the best out of teams.
Paul Lambert (Free agent)
Lambert's name appears to be floated any time there's a vacancy in Scotland's top-flight however his last role north of the border came at Livingston back in 2006. His best spell in management came arguably while in charge of Aston Villa 10 years ago and has been out of work since leaving Ipswich Town in 2021, although is on record as saying he is keen for a route back in. He didn't fancy the Motherwell job but could Hearts, and the prospect of managing in Europe, be just the ticket?
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