Andy Webster has declared himself delighted to be back at Hearts after being appointed the club’s new academy manager.
The 41-year-old has moved from the St Mirren backroom staff to become successor to Frankie McAvoy at Tynecastle.
McAvoy left his academy role to assist Steven Naismith in the Jambos’ interim management team at the end of last season before being named head coach for the coming campaign, leaving a void in the club’s youth set-up.
Webster will head up his old club’s academy structure at their Oriam Scotland training base and will have ‘overall responsibility for coach education, developing young talent and continuing to build the pathway from youth level to first-team’.
It will be the Scotland cap’s third spell at Hearts following two separate stints as a player, during which he made 272 appearances and won the Scottish Cup in 2012.
A disagreement with then owner Vladimir Romanov and a contract dispute, which brought intervention from FIFA and the Court of Arbitration for Sport, soured his departure from Gorgie the first time round when he left for Wigan Athletic in 2006.
But, after a further injury-affected move to Rangers and a successful loan at Dundee United, Webster returned to Hearts in February 2011 to restore his reputation before leaving again for Coventry in 2013.
The former Arbroath youth has been building his coaching career at St Mirren since retiring as a player with the Buddies in 2017.
Webster said: “First and foremost, I’m delighted to be back and to have been given a privileged role at the football club, something I’m really looking forward to.
“The foundations are there for the academy to make strides forward. That was one thing that attracted me to the role. The future’s hopefully looking bright for the football club.
“I think every fan in the country, and especially at Hearts, will tell you they want to see young players coming through, but you have to make sure they’re relatively ready to step into that environment. And when they do make that step it’s great to see them flourishing.
“It’s probably the biggest transition, going from that academy environment into the first-team. Anybody will tell you in football it’s the biggest leap you have to make as a young player.
“But it’s trying to give these young people as many tools as you possibly can to be able to make that step and that transition. You’re never going to be 100 per cent ready for first-team football but it’s trying to close that gap."
He added to Hearts TV: “I really appreciate what St Mirren have done for me over the period, having played and then moved into coaching. The football club was great with me, and especially the academy, so I can’t thank them enough."
Webster’s arrival continues a major overhaul of the Hearts coaching set-up since the sacking of Robbie Neilson in April, with Liam Fox also having been appointed head coach of the clubs B team this summer.
Sporting Director Joe Savage commented: “We’re delighted to welcome Andrew back to Hearts in the capacity of academy manager.
“Frankie McAvoy did a great job during his near 18 months in the role before becoming the club’s head coach, and it was vital that we brought in someone who could not only carry on that good work but take it even further forward.
“In Andrew, we believe we have that person. He has amassed tremendous experience at St Mirren and, of course, this is a place he knows extremely well thanks to his hugely successful playing career here.
“We’re excited to have him on board and looking forward to him utilising his skills for the benefit of our football academy.”
