'No surprise' McInnes linked with Hearts - Sheerin

Paul Sheerin says Derek McInnes "plays his cards close to his chest"

Kilmarnock assistant Paul Sheerin says it's "absolutely no surprise" there is speculation about manager Derek McInnes potentially becoming the new Hearts boss.

The Rugby Park club aim to confirm their Scottish Premiership safety by beating Dundee on Saturday (15:00 BST).

Sheerin has been part of 53-year-old McInnes' backroom team at both Aberdeen and Kilmarnock, and believes what he's achieved so far in his career stands out.

"The job he did at Aberdeen, and the club's of a similar stature - Aberdeen and Hearts - it doesn't surprise me that he's linked to it," said Sheerin.

"The way he built Aberdeen up from where they were at the time he went in, to have them consistently competing at the top level of the league and making sure they were in Europe and cup finals and semi-finals. That success rate speaks for itself."

McInnes has won promotion in charge of St Johnstone and Kilmarnock and won the League Cup as Aberdeen boss in 2014, also leading the Dons to four successive runners-up slots in the Premiership.

"There has been that speculation," added Sheerin.

"It doesn't go away and there's a reason for that - because he's done his job so well in the past years of being a manager.

"How he deals with it I'm not sure - he plays his cards close to his chest."