Jon Daly brands Daniel Stendel remarks ‘embarrassing’ as ex-Hearts coach speaks on Tynecastle exit, Christophe Berra, and Craig Levein

Two-time interim boss left the Jambos on New Year’s Day by mutual consent

Jon Daly coaching at Hearts.

Jon Daly has spoken for the first time about his Hearts departure as the former Tynecastle coach questioned Daniel Stendel’s remarks about trustworthiness.

Late last year, with the German boss still seeking an assistant, he selected reserve teamcoach Andy Kirk as his temporary No.2, claiming he was the “only one I trust” and announcing that Craig Levein’s right-hand man Austin MacPhee and first-team coaches Daly and Liam Fox would have “different tasks in the future”. 

Stendel had said: “I’ve worked the last few days with Andy and I think that can be very good for the future. I’ve been asked a lot about what I like in my assistant coaches and we have some of the same ideas and at the moment he is the only one who I trust on the bench.”


Under-20s coach Daly, who twice took charge of the club on an interim basis following the departures of Robbie Neilson and Ian Cathro, appeared on BBC Sportsound on Saturday and claimed Stendel’s remarks were “embarrassing”. 


The former Rangers and Dundee United striker said: “[Those remarks], for me, were embarrassing.


“Anyone that knows me knows I’m one of the most trustworthy people in football.


“I shook [Stendel’s] hand, sat on my chair for half an hour waiting for the manager to tell me what he wanted me to do - I said I was here to support him in any way I can.


“He took training and asked me my opinion in it. I gave him my honest opinion, I told him some of it was really good and some of it the players didn’t understand.


“That’s the last conversation I had with Daniel Stendel. For him to come out and say he can’t trust people is embarrassing.”


Daly also admitted it was “strange” that Levein remained at the club following his dismissal as manager but understood why he had chosen not to leave. 


“It’s the same reason Christophe [Berra] won’t walk away: because it’s a job,” he added.


Daly is not the first ousted Hearts man to hit back at the club following his exit. Republic of Ireland midfielder Glenn Whelan gave a lengthy interview to the Irish Independent newspaper in which he branded the Capital club “amateurish” and claimed he found out he had been dropped from the team in a WhatsApp message on Christmas Day.