Heart of Midlothian are aiming to appoint a new head coach this week, with Maarten Martens among the candidates to have held talks over the vacancy at Tynecastle.
Club officials have spent the past 10 days exploring options following Derek McInnes’ departure to Rangers, with the process now entering a decisive phase ahead of the squad’s return for pre-season on Thursday.
Hearts Standard has reported that Martens is one of the names interviewed in recent days, alongside former Manchester United and Feyenoord coach Rene Hake, who met sporting director Graeme Jones and chairman Calum Paterson in London last week.
The Jambos hierarchy are keen to have a successor in place before the squad departs for a warm-weather training camp in Spain on Monday, with discussions ongoing after a board meeting over the weekend.
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Martens, 41, most recently managed AZ Alkmaar, where he previously established himself as a player, making over 220 appearances and helping the club win the Eredivisie title under Louis van Gaal in 2009.
The former Belgium international began his coaching career in the Club Brugge academy before moving to AZ to take charge of Jong AZ. He spent two seasons in the Dutch second tier, earning a reputation for an expansive style, before stepping up as assistant to Pascal Jansen.
He later succeeded Jansen on an interim basis during the second half of the 2023/24 campaign and was handed the role permanently after securing a fourth-place finish. A fifth-place finish followed in his first full season, earning him a new three-year deal in 2025.
However, his tenure was cut short in January 2026 despite a 6-0 Dutch Cup victory over Ajax, with a poor league run, one win in eight, seeing AZ slip to seventh, where they ultimately finished the season.
Martens is known for favouring a high-tempo 4-3-3 system, with an emphasis on proactive, front-foot football both in and out of possession.
