Ex-Hibs and Celtic star addresses Premiership boss rumour as rival reacts to ex-Hearts gaffer's sacking

Craig Levein has been sacked by St Johnstone after a run of four defeats in five gamesCraig Levein has been sacked by St Johnstone after a run of four defeats in five games
Craig Levein has been sacked by St Johnstone after a run of four defeats in five games | SNS Group
The latest news and updates within the Scottish Premiership.

Hearts will be looking to break their disappointing run of form in the Scottish Premiership this weekend when they take on St Mirren in a fixture on the road.

The Jambos have lost four of their five opening matches and currently occupy bottom of the table with just one point on the board. Hibs are sitting in eighth with a win and a draw in the bank so far. Their next clash will be Rangers, who are pushing to close the gap on both Celtic and Aberdeen at the top of the table. Following the latest Scottish Premiership headlines, let’s take a look at some of the latest updates.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Ex-Hibs star avoids latest managerial rumour

Former Hibs and Celtic star Scott Brown has recently been linked with the St Johnstone manager position and former Saints winger Danny Swanson believes he would be a good fit. The 37-year-old recently admitted he ‘can’t see past’ Brown replacing the recently sacked Craig Levein, who is currently in charge of Ayr United.

While on pundit duty for TNT Sports’ coverage of Celtic vs Slovan Bratislava, Brown was asked by host Emma Dodds about the links between him and St Johnstone.

“Just the 127 European appearances for you Scott and of course, you're currently the manager of Ayr United. You must be doing pretty well because you've today been linked with St Johnstone — shall we just address the elephant in the room straight off the bat — what do you have to say?” Dodds asked.

Brown was careful to sidestep around the direct question and focused on his managing experience so far, rather than what the future may hold.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“I've been enjoying it. Ayr's been fantastic. It's been really good for me. I obviously went down to Fleetwood and now I'm learning my trade at Ayr.”

Kettlewell weighs in on Levein sacking

Levein was dismissed by St Johnstone on Wednesday after a run of four consecutive defeats. The 59-year-old joined the Saints last November, marking his return to management after his second spell with Hearts came to an end in 2019.

Motherwell manager Stuart KettlewellMotherwell manager Stuart Kettlewell
Motherwell manager Stuart Kettlewell | SNS Group

Motherwell manager Stuart Kettlewell was asked about St Johnstone’s decision during a pre-match talks ahead of his side’s meeting with Dundee United in the Scottish League Cup quarter-final. Kettlewell admitted the news took him by surprise.

“Craig’s somebody that I respect so much in the game, somebody that I got on really well with post-match. We scored a last minute winner against him a couple of weeks ago and I think it’s a sign of the man — he’s utter class after the game.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“He’s somebody with a wealth of experience and I think we’ve all got to say that Craig’s done a good job, in my opinion. I think they’re a very good football club, St Johnstone, but I’m a wee bit surprised with that decision. It’s certainly not been the worst start to the season that they’ve had. Craig’s task was to keep them up last season, which is exactly what he’s done and avoided the relegation play-offs.”

News you can trust since 1873
Follow us
©National World Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.Cookie SettingsTerms and ConditionsPrivacy notice