Neil Critchley is the new man at the Hearts helm - and he comes packed with experience.
The new head coach has signed a deal through to the summer of 2027. His immediate goal will be to register a first Hearts win of the Premiership season, at home to St Mirren on Saturday during his Tynecastle debut.
Critchley worked in the academy stucture at various levels with Liverpool before becoming Blackpool boss. He has also managed QPR and held the title of assistant manager at Aston Villa during Stevne Gerrard’s reign.
He’s mixed it with some of the best and brightest players, managers, sporting directors and owners in his coaching career. But what do they make of him?
Including a man now working under him at Hearts, here are 13 people who’ve talked about Hearts’ new head coach in the past.
1. Alex Ingelthorpe (Liverpool academy director, 2020)
“Obviously losing a person and professional of Neil’s calibre is something that is a disappointment, but at the same time we have great excitement and joy that he has been given this wonderful opportunity. “We see this as a reflection on the Academy as a whole, that it’s an environment where players and coaches have a pathway to progression and self-improvement. Neil epitomises the best qualities of a modern coach: leadership skills, intelligence, compassion and a hunger for individual and collective improvement. Blackpool are very fortunate to have him and we wish him well." | Liverpool FC via Getty Images
2. James Collins (Wolves U21s coach, ex-Crewe colleague, 2020)
"He is a very respected coach. He's been there five years now and you don't stay at a club like Liverpool at the top end, U18s and U23s, unless you are good at what you do." Photo: Jack Thomas - WWFC
3. Simon Sadler (owner of Blackpool, 2023)
"I kept coming back to Neil as being the right man to take us forward. He gained promotion with us, kept us in the Championship in our first season back in the division and has an impressive record when it comes to developing players." | Getty Images
4. Amit Bhatia (QPR chairman, 2022)
“We also wanted to ensure we appointed someone who shares the footballing philosophy of our club, and in Neil and his team we also feel confident we have achieved that." | Getty Images Photo: Getty