Graeme Jones decides his future after talks with Hearts

Riccarton role given to the Scottish FA’s performance director

The Scottish Football Association’s performance director has resigned from his job at Hampden Park and been appointed sporting director at Hearts. Graeme Jones worked in various SFA roles for the last nine years but quit in order to clear the way for a switch to Riccarton. His impending arrival was confirmed by Hearts this afternoon.

Jones will perform an overseeing role in Edinburgh after the departure of the Tynecastle club’s sporting director Joe Savage in May. Discussions took place about his remit, which is slightly different to Savage’s, and he accepted the offer. Based in the Capital, Jones was keen to explore the opportunity at club level after deciding to tender his resignation at the SFA. His exact start date at Riccarton has still to be confirmed.

Jones was an established figure within the corridors of Hampden, boasting a background in sports science, medicine, performance data and analysis. He also has a strong reputation for cultivating relationships with players and coaches. The Tynecastle hierarchy admired his wide-ranging skillset and believe he will be an asset to their senior staff.

Jones was promoted to the role of SFA performance director in December last year. He previously worked for the governing body as head of high performance and head of football science and medicine. He has also held positions as a UEFA fitness coach and as head of sports science at Raith Rovers.