Hearts are hunting for a fresh face in the dugout but what about the men who’ve occupied this role before?
Steven Naismith has been sacked as head coach at Tynecastle, with attention quickly turning to who will come next. The club have lost eight in a row and sit bottom of the Premiership table.
Amid possible investment from Brighton chairman Tony Bloom and a core of the squad that comfortably finished third last season, there’s plenty for the new manager to work with. Who came before this new person though, including Naismith, as a new era dawns in Gorgie?
A couple of them have been sacked this year, while one is mentioned with a return to Hearts by the latest odds. Here’s where the last 13 managers of Hearts are now.
1. Neil Critchley (October 24 - April 25)
Now in the former manager camp. Picked up results after Naismith's exit but lack of a statement victory plus bottom six football ends his reign after just six months. | SNS Group
2. Steven Naismith (June 23 - September 24)
The most recent man at the helm. Appointed as technical director in June 2023 after an interim manager spell then his role changed to head coach in September last year. A 2-1 defeat to St Mirren ended his tenure. | SNS Group
3. Robbie Neilson (May 14 - December 16 and June 20 - April 23)
Neilson moved to America with Tampa Bay Rowdies, his first job since departing Hearts. Brought European group stage football to Gorgie in his second spell and won the Championship during both stints at the helm. Left in April 2023 and was recently sacked by Rowdies. Photo: Mark Scates - SNS Group
4. Daniel Stendel (December 19 - June 20)
The German was eventually given the Hearts job after leading Barnsley up to the Championship the previous season before being sacked. He left at the end of a season cut short by the coronavirus pandemic when Hearts were relegated. Stendel has since managed AS Nancy in French Ligue 2 and is currently in charge of the Hannover 96 reserve team in Germany Photo: Lewis Storey