On Tuesday, October 15, Neil Critchley was appointed as the newest manager of Hearts, following the departure of former head coach Steven Naismith back in September.
Today, we’ll be taking a look at Critchley’s coaching career so far, including his time with Liverpool, Queens Park Rangers and his two separate stints as Blackpool boss.
Critchley penned a post on Hearts’ official website to the fans upon his arrival, which reads: “Hi everybody, I’m delighted to join this fantastic football club. Ahead of Saturday, I wanted to say something directly to you.
“We want you to be excited by the team that you see on the pitch and come to support. We want to be a team that nobody wants to play. When you come to Tynecastle on a Saturday, the feeling should be optimistic and excited to see a team that gives the support reasons to get on their feet. You should be able to see the passion of the support reflected in the team.
“I promise I’ll give this club everything. You very quickly come to understand how much Hearts means to those who care most about it, and how much of a difference it makes to their lives by giving them a successful team. I can’t wait to start this journey, and I’m looking forward to meeting all of the players and getting down to work straight away.”
5. Blackpool (2)
His time with the Tangerines was largely successful - not only did he win the League One playoff final with them, he also managed to keep them up in the Championship in the following season. | Getty Images
6. Aston Villa
Critchley left Blackpool to join Steven Gerrard coaching team at Aston Villa, departing the club when Gerrard was sacked. | Getty Images
7. QPR
Critchley then made the jump to QPR, but his time there proved to be something of a disaster - he won just 1 out of 12 games in charge before being sacked. | Getty Images
8. Blackpool (3)
He then returned to Blackpool, but could not recapture the spirit of his first stint in charge - he was sacked in August of this year. | Getty Images