Next Hearts boss: who are Scandinavian linked duo Arnar Gunnlaugsson & Kim Hellberg?

Steven Naismith’s reign as Hearts manager was officially brought to an end on Monday - less than 48 hours after his side extended their winless start to the season to a ninth game with a disappointing 2-1 defeat at St Mirren.

There were high hopes for Naismith’s reign after he guided the Jam Tarts to a third place finish and European football last season - but a short-lived Europa League campaign was ended in a play-off round defeat to Viktoria Plzen and league defeats against the likes of Motherwell, Celtic and Dundee United meant an inevitable parting of the ways became increasingly likely. With Naismith’s tenure now consigned to the history books, all thoughts have turned towards who could succeed the former Rangers, Everton and Scotland forward at Tynecastle - and there are some surprising names thrown into the mix.

What did Hearts say about the decision to sack Naismith?

Chief Executive Officer Andrew McKinlay told the club website: “I’d like to firstly thank Steven, Gordon and Frankie for all their efforts over the past year and a half. They worked tirelessly in their roles and without them we would not have enjoyed the successes of last season. However, things can change quickly, particularly in football, and it has been clear for all to see that things are not working this season. Results and performances have fallen below the standards expected at this football club and, unfortunately, there is little evidence of any potential upturn in fortunes.

“With our UEFA Conference League campaign about to commence, and the spotlight on our league position, we cannot afford to stand still. That is why we, as a Board of Directors, have made the difficult decision to part ways with the management team, who go with our thanks and best wishes. We will update supporters shortly about next steps in both the short and long term but for now, the club shall be making no further comment at this time.”

Chief executive Andrew McKinlay and his Hearts board have a big decision to make | SNS Group

What did Naismith say about his departure from Hearts?

Naismith said in a statement: “I am disappointed that my time at Heart of Midlothian Football Club has come to an end. This season has been a frustrating one for a number of reasons and ultimately it just hasn’t been good enough. When you’re at a big club with demands and expectations and you go on a bad run of form - pressure is always going to come.

“I would like to thank everyone associated with Heart of Midlothian, where I have spent nearly eight years of my career. From my first day I formed a strong connection with the club and all who work there, I knew, understood and appreciated the standards and demands of HMFC and this was something I constantly tried to uphold as a player and manager.”

Who are the current favourites to replace Naismith?

There are some familiar faces currently leading the market when it comes to Naismith’s successor. Former Sunderland and Stoke City boss Alex Neil is 3/1 favourite and he is followed by Kilmarnock manager Derek McInnes, who is priced at 4/1 with McBookie. The likes of caretaker manager Liam Fox, Bolton Wanderers manager Ian Evatt and St Mirren boss Stephen Robinson are all rated amongst the frontrunners to take charge at Tynecastle. However, there are two more unfamiliar names said to be in the running with former Bolton Wanderers and Leicester City forward Arnar Gunnlaugsson priced at 6/1 and Swedish manager Kim Hellberg rated at 14/1 to replace Naismith.

Who is Arnar Gunnlaugsson?

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Gunnlaugsson is perhaps best known for impressing during his time as a player with English Premier League clubs Bolton and Leicester City, winning the League Cup with the latter in 2000 - although was not part of the matchday squad for their Wembley win against Tranmere Rovers. Gunnlaugsson was loaned to Stoke City before the end of the same season and was in the Potters side that won the Auto Windscreens Shield with a 2-1 win against Bristol City less than a month after his initial disappointment of missing out with the Foxes. Gunnlaugsson had a short spell with Dundee United during the 2002/03 season before returning to Iceland to enjoy spells with the likes of KR Reykjavik, IA, Valur and Fram before his playing career came to a close in 2011. After holding assistant manager roles with KR and Vikingur Reykjavik, Gunnlaugsson stepped up into the lead role in the dugout with the latter in 2018 and has led the club to two Icelandic League titles and four Icelandic Cups, completing league and cup doubles in both 2021 and 2023.

Who is Kim Hellberg?

Linked to the head coach role at Sunderland last year, the Swedish boss is currently head coach with Hammarby in his homeland. A highly-rated young coach, could Hearts follow a similar path to that of Aberdeen? | Twitter

Hellberg’s playing career was spent mainly in the lower levels of the Swedish game as the midfielder represented the likes of Dagsbergs IF, Kimstad and Kuddby IF before retiring in 2020. Life in the dugout has been far more enjoyable for the 36-year-old as he won lower league titles with Kimstad and IF Sylvia before taking charge of IFK Varnamo ahead of their first ever season in Swedish football’s top tier, the Allsvensken. After guiding his new club to a tenth place finish and snubbing interest from IFK Goteberg, Hellberg helped Varnamo to a shock fifth placed finish last season and was surprisingly beaten to the Manager of the Year award by then-Elfsborg boss and current Aberdeen head coach Jimmy Thelin. Hellberg was linked with a move to Sunderland last year but opted to pen a three-year deal with Hammarby, who currently sit in third place in the Allsvensken table following Sunday’s goalless draw at sixth placed Elfsborg.