Dale Tonge joins Hearts coaching staff as Daniel Stendel gets his man

Dale Tonge has joined Daniel Stendel's Hearts coaching staff

Hearts manager Daniel Stendel has added former Barnsley coach Dale Tonge to the backroom team at Riccarton.

The Englishman has initially signed a contract until the summer to work alongside Stendel, his assistant Jorg Sievers and coach Andy Kirk in a new-look management quartet.

Tonge, 34, was a key member of Stendel's coaching staff at Barnsley and helped the club gain promotion to the English Championship last season.

He left Oakwell after Stendel was sacked last October but is now reunited with the German in Edinburgh. He watched Hearts beat Rangers 2-1 at Tynecastle on Sunday.

“I’m looking forward to getting stuck in. It’s what I do, it’s what I love doing," he told the Hearts website. “I’ve obviously had that experience of working with Daniel before and excited to be a part of it, and fortunate enough to be part of a club of this statute. It’s a massive honour for me.

“The game yesterday was as good as I could’ve expected. The style of play, particularly, is how I identify the way Daniel wants to play and what he’s known for. The reward was the result against one of the biggest teams in the league.

“The added bonus for me was seeing the atmosphere, seeing the fans and seeing the stadium, how it was and hopefully how it continues to be.”

Hearts now have a four-man management team in place after moving former boss Craig Levein and his assistant Austin MacPhee into background roles.

Jon Daly left the club on New Year's Day, while Liam Fox is currently coaching the reserves.