Hearts interview Maarten Martens for the manager's job as former AZ Alkmaar coach emerges

Belgian coach Maarten Martens has been interviewed for the managerial vacancy at Hearts. The 41-year-old has spoken with senior Tynecastle officials and is in contention for the job after impressing during his interview. He is out of work after being sacked by Dutch club AZ Alkmaar in January this year.

Dutchman René Hake was interviewed by the Hearts hierarchy last week along with others. Martens is understood to appeal to members of the club’s board. He spent two years in charge of AZ and recorded a win ratio of 51 per cent. His team thumped Ajax 6-0 in the Dutch KNVB Cup at the start of the year, but days later he was relieved of his duties. The AZ board were unhappy with certain results in previous games and decided to make a change.

Martens is now looking to get back into work and is keen to succeed Derek McInnes at Tynecastle Park. He favours a 4-3-3 system and also uses 4-2-3-1, with an emphasis on a strong defence, pace going forward and quick attacks. He is interested in working in Scottish football, plus the chance to manage in Europe with Hearts playing in the Champions League qualifiers against Sturm Graz next month.

The Hearts sporting director Graeme Jones and chairman Calum Paterson interviewed various candidates over the last week after receiving recommendations from the club’s recruitment partner, Jamestown Analytics. They hope to finalise an appointment this week, with the first-team squad due to fly to Spain next Monday for a week-long pre-season training camp.

Maartens began coaching in 2016 in the youth academy of Cercle Brugge as his playing career headed towards an end. He played for Anderlecht, RKC Waalwijk, AZ and PAOK Salonika - and also won nine Belgian caps - before a loan spell at Cercle. He took up coaching there and, in 2021, became head coach of Jong AZ - Alkmaar’s reserve side.

In January, following a spell as the club’s assistant coach, Martens was named head coach of AZ in place of Pascal Jensen. It was his first senior management job, initially on a deal until the end of that season. After steering AZ to fourth place in the Dutch Eredivisie, Martens was granted a two-year contract. The following year, he signed a new three-year contract but then lost his job in January.

McInnes left Hearts earlier this month to take the manager’s job at Rangers. He spent 12 months at Tynecastle Park and came within minutes of winning the Scottish Premiership title for the first time in 66 years. Hearts now want someone who can take the mantle and help them continue challenging at the top of Scottish football.

Hake was interviewed last week after spells as assistant coach at Feyenoord and Manchester United. He previously managed FC Emmen, FC Twente, SC Cambuur, Utrecht and Go Ahead Eagles. He is also out of work and looking for the right opportunity to get back into football.