Hearts: Neil Critchley appointed head coach

Neil Critchley is "thrilled and truly honored" to take on the role of head coach at Heart of Midlothian. After just one training session with the team, he feels "optimistic about what we can achieve this season."

The ex-manager of Blackpool and Queens Park Rangers has agreed to a contract with Tynecastle that will last until the conclusion of the 2026-27 season.

The 45-year-old takes over from Steven Naismith, who was let go last month after failing to secure a victory at the beginning of the Scottish Premiership season.

That rough beginning, which was part of a stretch of eight straight losses in all competitions, has positioned Hearts at the bottom of the Premiership, collecting just two points from eight matches.

However, Critchley, accompanied by former Liverpool academy coach Mike Garrity—who has also worked with Blackpool, Lincoln City, and QPR—remains positive about the remainder of the season.

"After seeing them this morning, I felt more inspired than I had before," he remarked.

"I caught all the games since I had some free time, but there's nothing like watching the players up close. It's great to meet them, chat with them, and observe their training sessions."

The atmosphere within the group was positive and uplifting. Based on what I’ve observed, I feel optimistic about the possibilities we still have for this season.

The Englishman was in charge of Blackpool from 2020 to 2022 and made a comeback to the Lancashire team in 2023 after a brief three-month tenure at QPR.

Critchley, who led the Seasiders to the Championship in England through the play-offs in 2021, has achieved 77 victories and 47 draws in his 185 matches as a manager.

He guided Liverpool's youth teams and briefly served as Steven Gerrard's assistant at Aston Villa in 2022.

CEO Andrew McKinlay dismissed claims that Critchley was merely the club's backup option after negotiations with former Norway coach Per-Mathias Hogmo fell through.

"There was a lot of speculation, and I don't want to delve into the complete details of the process—that wouldn't be fair to Neil or to others involved," he stated.

In today's recruitment landscape, it's common to have multiple conversations with different candidates. However, Neil stood out as the top choice based on his analytical skills and our discussions with him.

"It was obvious that he was the perfect fit for our team, alongside Graeme Jones [the new sporting director] and the analytics team. We didn't engage in talks with anyone else. Although there was plenty of discussion, Neil was the only one we negotiated with."

McKinlay highlighted that "the data merely provides guidance" and noted that an important factor in selecting Critchley was the way he would collaborate with both Jones and himself.

He also mentioned that Hearts is concentrating on finding a coach who can enhance the skills of their current players and those identified through their new recruitment strategy, instead of seeking managers who have achieved success with large budgets.

"We're entering a thrilling phase for the club in terms of analytics, so it would have been foolish not to incorporate it into this," he mentioned.

This section focuses on managers who have successfully developed the talent of the players under their guidance. It doesn't consider those who have the privilege of working with more skilled players or a larger budget. Our goal is to find a manager who can enhance the abilities of our current players.

"We have a strong group of players, but they require a capable leader to guide them, and I believe Neil will be that leader."

Hearts secured a third-place finish in the Scottish Premier League last season and made it to the semi-finals in both of the country's cup tournaments.

The Tynecastle team will play against St Mirren in the Premiership on Saturday, and then host Cypriot team Omonia Nicosia for their first home match in the Conference League the next Thursday.