Steven Naismith has accepted his first job in top team management - and the massive challenge of rescuing third place for Hearts.
The Jambos have moved swiftly to appoint their B team manager to the top job in an interim basis until the end of the season after sacking Robbie Neilson on Sunday. Naismith, who is also a member of Steve Clarke’s Scotland coaching staff, will be assisted by Academy director and former Preston North End manager Frankie McAvoy and current coach Gordon Forrest.
And they face a baptism of fire in their first match in charge against Hibs at Easter Road in Saturday’s lunchtime kick-off. Naismith faces a massive task to turn around a horror slump in form that’s seen them relinquish third spot to Aberdeen who were 10 points behind the Jambos just two months ago.
The Tynecastle hierarchy swung the axe after a 2-0 defeat to St Mirren at Tynecastle made it five defeats from their last six league games. Now they’ve turned to the 36-year-old former Hearts and Rangers striker with seven games remaining to grab back third spot and the almost guaranteed £5m Euro ticket that comes with it.
Crunch talks involving chair Ann Budge, chief executive Andrew McKinlay and sporting director Joe Savage were held on Monday just 24 hours after the decision to pull the trigger on Neilson. Earlier in the day they also confirmed the departure of assistant manager Lee McCulloch.
A statement said: “Heart of Midlothian can confirm that co-assistant manager Lee McCulloch has today left the club.
“Lee joined Hearts in August 2020 as part of Robbie Neilson’s backroom staff and played a huge role in the club’s journey back to the top flight, to two Scottish Cup Finals and into the group stages of the Europa Conference League. The club would like to thank Lee for all of his hard work and we wish him well in the future.”
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