Sporting director Savage leaves Hearts

Joe Savage had been in post at Tynecastle for over three years

Joe Savage leaves Heart of Midlothian "with my head held high" after stepping down as sporting director.

The 40-year-old was appointed in January 2021 and played a part in the club's promotion to the Scottish Premiership and three successive European placings in the top flight.

The club say Savage wants to take "much-needed time out from the demands of the football world".

In a statement, Savage said: "I'm the type of person who, when looking to the future, wants to be able to shake everyone by the hand and leave with my head held high. I believe now is the right time to do that.

"A lot has changed since I came to the club. I've worked hard to make improvements and I think I've done a good job.

"Qualifying for Europe three years in a row, for the first time in the club's history, is a good indicator of that, as is the women's team’s league performance and reaching the Women's Scottish Cup final.

"The academy is going from strength to strength and I'm certain the first teams will bear the fruits of that for years to come."

Hearts chief executive Andrew McKinlay thanked Savage for his contribution and said confirmed "internal discussions have taken place with regards to how we take the football department forward".

He added: "As those talks continue, I will provide updates as appropriate."

Meanwhile, Steven Naismith hailed the "many improvements within the football department" that Savage has been a part of.

"He'll leave it in a good place," the head coach added. "We've already made a lot of progress in terms of next season and we'll continue pushing forward with that."