Heart of Midlothian

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Is Derek McInnes the right man at the right time for Hearts?

The Tynecastle club seem to have identified the Kilmarnock manager as their top target to fill their vacant head coach position.

A formal approach to the Rugby Park side, where the 53-year-old has managed since 2022, is expected on Monday.

Hearts' interest in McInnes has perhaps come as a surprise to some, with many predicting another left-field appointment given the club's recent use of the renowned Jamestown Analytics software, which has a key role in player recruitment.

But the Edinburgh side look to be prioritising proven experience and success in Scotland following the exit of Neil Critchley, and not many have a better CV than McInnes in that regard despite a tough campaign this term.

Speaking on the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast, The Herald's Stephen McGowan said: "I think McInnes is the manager with the right profile, with the right records and the right experience. He just has the right gravitas for where Hearts are at.

"I think the big question there is going to be about going down the data-driven road. McInnes is a manager rather than a head coach, so there needs to be a bit of a compromise there between him and the club.

"But I think if you give him an opportunity to go to a club of the stature of Hearts, bringing in investment from Tony Bloom with Jamestown Analytics taking on all of the recruitment, I think you'll find that irresistible."

Heart of Midlothian are set to make their move for Kilmarnock manager Derek McInnes official before close of business on Monday. (Scottish Sun)

Read the rest of Monday's gossip.

Former Hearts midfielder Michal Stewart analyses Lawrence Shankland's standout performance in the win over Motherwell as the striker nears the end of his contract. (Available to UK users only)

Watch highlights as Hearts win 3-0 against Motherwell in the Scottish Premiership. (Available to UK users only)

Brian McLauchlin
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Hearts' third-choice goalkeeper Ryan Fulton missed the call to tell him he was making his first-team debut - because his young son was playing on his phone.

The former Hamilton shot-stopper only found out he was in the starting XI for Saturday's 3-0 win over when he arrived at Tynecastle Park before the game.

"[I found out] literally as I turned up here," he told BBC Scotland. "Paul Gallacher [Hearts' goalkeeping coach] had tried to call me but my wee boy had the phone so he kept on just dinghying it.

"Once I got here, Gal was like 'I've tried calling you!' I was like, 'sorry, wee man's had the phone.' He was like, 'you're playing" and I was like, 'oh, no way!'. Then it was just obviously a whirlwind from there pretty much."

Dropped into the squad after Craig Gordon woke up with a neck complaint, Fulton kept a clean sheet as Hearts strolled to victory.

"I was just still prepared the same way," added Fulton. "Obviously, Zander [Clark] is coming back into training now as well, so there's a bit more competition there but it was nice to actually get the nod because it could have been easy to put Zander in there as well.

"It's lovely to get the clean sheet but the most important thing is to get the three points to make sure we stay in this league and take our form into next season."

Despite a torrid season for Hearts, Fulton has enjoyed his first year in Edinburgh.

"It was nice coming to this culture and environment," he said. "The pressure and the club demands, that's been different as well. But I've enjoyed that challenge and obviously I know I've not played much football but I've been experiencing it.

"Learning off Craig and Zander and watching Gal [Paul Gallacher] in the training and seeing how that works, it's been good for me, I've enjoyed it."

We asked for your views on managerless Hearts' 3-0 win against Motherwell.

Here's what some of you said:

Graham: A very enjoyable game from a Hearts perspective in what was a dead rubber for both sides, the timing of the first goal right at the end of the minute's applause for young Charlie was perfect. Good to see Yan Dhanda contributing well as the lad has talent that hopefully whoever the new manager is can bring the best out of. Onwards and upwards to next season.

Alexander: Good win, good football. Delighted we are making an approach for Derek McInnes though I'd rather have Stephen Robinson. My concern still stands that if we win the next two games it allows Ann Budge and Craig Levein to push the case for their man Liam Fox to get the job!

Jim: A reasonable performance in a match where there was little danger attached to the result. If the match proved anything it is how important it is we hold on to Lawrence Shankland's services. We all knew he was asked to play a deeper role by Neil Critchley and that affected his goal tally but up front is where he is most valuable and he has proved it yet again over the past few weeks. If McInnes is to be our new manager I hope he is given sufficient funds to seek out more quality additions.

Sam: Not sure we learned much other than that Ryan Fulton is very much a third-choice goalkeeper. Nice to see some out-of-touch players like Shankland, Alan Forrest and Dhanda playing better. Defence looks more solid with Craig Halkett and Frankie Kent back.

David: Great to see Shankland back among the goals, hopefully he could still be here next season. He certainly made the difference in a scoreline which probably flattered us a little. Fox's change of shape in the last two games have definitely improved us.

Steve: Not rocket science, Shankland up front equals goals and he looks to be enjoying himself. Defence looks solid, we just lack pace in midfield. A very sunny and happy Tynecastle, it's been a long time coming, the gloom has lifted.

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• Motherwell have failed to score in 12 of their 36 games, only Ross County (15) have failed to score more often in the Premiership this season.

• Lawrence Shankland has scored eight goals in the Premiership this season (two in this game), more than any other Hearts player.

• Tom Sparrow attempted nine tackles in this game, more than any other player (ahead of Beni Baningime - five tackles).

• Cameron Devlin made five fouls in this game, more than any other player (ahead of Anthony Paul Watt - four fouls).

Hearts are trying once more to reach a new contract agreement with captain Lawrence Shankland, with the striker hitting form as his current deal nears expiration. (Daily Record), external

Read the rest of Sunday's Scottish gossip.

Two goals from Lawrence Shankland helped Hearts to a comfortable win against Motherwell.

Were you at Tynecastle or following the match from home? Either way, we want your views on the game – have your say here.

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Hearts interim head coach Liam Fox: "We had some good moments in the game and scored three good goals. But also the commitment from the players to working hard in this heat and sticking to the plan was there for all to see.

"There's good players in that changing room and I've just tried to simplify it and make it nice and clear and easy for them in and out of possession. The players have been fantastic and all the credit has to go to them.

"At this moment in time I'll be back in on Monday and looking forward to St Johnstone at home, will be another tough game."

Thomas Duncan
BBC Sport Scotland

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Lawrence Shankland's poor form this season has been as big a factor in Hearts' disappointing campaign as his scintillating run last term was in the club romping to third place.

For much of the season he has looked lethargic, frustrated, and low in confidence as he dropped deeper and deeper looking for the ball.

All that is perhaps understandable when a mooted big move last summer never materialised, after he rejected big contract offer from Hearts to prolong his stay.

Any deal on the table now will presumably be nowhere near the level it was 12 months ago, but as the season draws to a close Shankland is doing his best to get as much value as he can.

He now has five goals in his last three games and is starting to look more like the player that scored 31 times last season.

His movement in and around the box has been sharper, and his finishing more crisp.

His first goal was well-taken from the edge of the box, and his second was a deft header.

Interim head coach Liam Fox's decision to revert to a 4-3-3 with more width and Shankland as the central striker has certainly helped.

For many Hearts fans, though, this might all be too little, too late, given the pressure has been somewhat off and they are playing in the bottom half.

But as the club make a decision about just how much he is worth, the captain's upturn in form will give them food for thought.

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Hearts midfielder Cammy Devlin is available after illness but Jamie McCart (thigh) is set to remain sidelined along with Gerald Taylor (knee), Aidan Denholm (hamstring) and back-up keeper Zander Clark.

Motherwell have Johnny Koutroumbis suspended but Liam Gordon has recovered from concussion.

Apostolos Stamatelopoulos is back training after a broken wrist but unlikely to feature. Kofi Balmer (hamstring) and Shane Blaney (knee) remain out along with Sam Nicholson (knee), Jack Vale and Zach Robinson (both Achilles).

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Alan Forrest is ignoring the "outside noise" of stick from supporters as the winger attempts to revive his Hearts career.

The 28-year-old made only his second start of 2025 last weekend as interim boss Liam Fox took the reins following the sacking of Neil Critchley.

Forrest has been on the end of criticism from his own fans this season, but said: "For me, it's just outside noise. A lot of players are going to get stick from different places.

"You just try and focus as best as you can on what you can control. I don't think you can control that.

"It's just about my performances and when I get the chance to play, it's just about what I can do. Hopefully, that's contributing by scoring goals or making goals.

"You're never going to control the outside noise anyway so I think that's all I can really do to affect that."

With Motherwell the visitors on Saturday, Forrest could start at Tynecastle for the first time since the Conference League draw with Petrocub in December when he was barracked by some Hearts before being replaced at half-time.

"I think that was a difficult night for everyone, that game," said Forrest.

"We fell short that night and after we'd got off to such a great start in that tournament. It wasn't great for anyone. Everyone was hurting from it and I was no different.

"If you're not playing, you do worry. You want to be playing, so you do get frustrated.

"It was just about working as hard as I can in training, waiting for the opportunity and luckily I got that on Saturday.

"As a player, you've got to back yourself. If you get the opportunities, it's about trying to contribute and make an impact as much as I can."

Colin Moffat
BBC Sport Scotland

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Motherwell are safe from trouble and Hearts are as good as too, so here's hoping the teams serve up better fare than they did at Fir Park last month.

Both teams needed a win that day to make the top six but the pressure told in a drab, goalless draw.

Lawrence Shankland was on the visitors' bench that afternoon and came nearest to breaking the deadlock with a late effort cleared off the line.

The Scotland striker netted in the following Scottish Cup semi-final defeat by Aberdeen and banged in two more in the win at Ross County last weekend to effectively snuff out any play-off concerns.

Caretaker manager Liam Fox needed the points and he wasn't messing about, immediately reinstating Shankland as the starting centre forward.

The 29-year-old, who has spent most of 2025 in a deeper role, will be a free agent in a few weeks, so he has picked a good time to remind us of his goalscoring talent.

However, his season tally of seven is a huge drop-off from the 31 and 28 in his previous campaigns at Tynecastle.

Will there be a clamour for Shankland's signature over the summer on the strength of those past exploits or could Hearts tempt their captain to stay on?

A few more goals over the next couple of weeks would strengthen his hand.

Read all the weekend Premiership picks

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• Hearts have won five of their past six home league games against Motherwell (L1), including both of their past two without conceding.

• Motherwell have won just one of their past five league games against Hearts (D1 L3), failing to score in three of their past four.

• Hearts have lost their past two home league games, last losing three in a row at Tynecastle in the Scottish Premiership in December 2019 under Daniel Stendel.

• Motherwell have won their past two league games (as many as their previous 12 beforehand), and could win three on the bounce for the first time since September 2023, the third of which was a 1-0 victory at Hearts.

• Motherwell have scored more 90th-minute winning goals than any side in the Scottish Premiership this season, with Tawanda Maswanhise's against Dundee last time out their third of the campaign.

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Liam Fox says bringing Barrie McKay in from the cold proves every Hearts player now has a "clean slate".

McKay had not featured in a Hearts squad in 2025 under Neil Critchley before Fox put the 30-year-old winger on the bench for his first game in charge, last weekend's win at Ross County.

"From Barry's point of view, I just thought the way he trained last week was really, really good. There's no doubting Barry's quality on his day," said Fox prior to Saturday's home game with Motherwell.

"And I just felt [the team] having not scored consistently over a period, he might just give you something a wee bit different.

"Like I said to the players last week, there's a clean slate this week, so it's up to you to go and impress and train properly. And Barry did that and he caught my eye.

"We'll have difficult decisions again this week to leave players out. I say to them all the time, don't miss an opportunity, don't make it easy for me to leave you out the matchday squad.

"All I can say is from the period that I've been in this interim charge, Barry's attitude's been really good and his quality's never been down."

Brian McLauchlin
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Hearts interim manager Liam Fox has been speaking to the media before the visit of Motherwell this weekend.

Here are the key lines from his press conference:

• On his position: "It's just normal service for me until somebody tells me any different. We've had another good week's training. I'm pleased with how the players have responded again this week, so all focus is on Motherwell."

• Whoever is appointed manager must bring a winning mentality: "They need to win games of football first and foremost. I know that sounds really simple, but it's not for me to sit here and decide and tell you what a Hearts manager is. The club are going through a process. What I can say is it's a brilliant job."

• On whether players will be looking to lay down a marker: "I think that's probably true. What I would say is, I think in an ideal world, you want players to be like that every single day and wanting to impress, to improve, to get better."

• Fox says the "dynamic has totally changed" between players and manager since his playing days: "They [managers] were a wee bit more aggressive and a bit more front foot. But I think players just like clarity. They just want to know where they stand. They like people to look them in the eye and tell them where they are and just be open and up front and honest."

• On bringing Barrie McKay back into the squad last week for the first time in months, Fox says there is a "clean slate" for every player and the midfielder impressed in training.

• On restoring Kenneth Vargas to the starting XI: "I brought Kenny back in really simply because I felt we needed a bit more speed and a bit more width in the team last weekend. Alan [Forrest] and Kenny filled that profile."

• Fox says winning final three games of the season would indicate the quality within the squad. He adds: "It's been a disappointing season, the players have acknowledged that. So we're hoping that come Saturday, we can play some attractive and entertaining football."

• Cammy Devlin returns to the squad after illness but Jamie McCart remains a doubt.

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Would Derek McInnes be a good choice as the new Hearts manager?

The Kilmarnock boss is under consideration, along with St Mirren manager Stephen Robinson and John McGlynn of Falkirk, as the Tynecastle club seek someone with experience of the Scottish game to replace the sacked Neil Critchley.

Mark Atkinson, sports editor of The Scotsman, says McInnes "stands out above the rest of them" because he has already managed a club of similar size, Aberdeen.

"I think you're seeing McInnes' name rise to prominence because of the experience he has," Atkinson told the BBC's Scottish football podcast.

"You see with clubs such as Hearts when they go for someone like Critchley, a bit of a wild-card appointment, when it doesn't work there's a feeling that you might go back to basics, go back to somebody who knows the Scottish landscape really well.

"Some people would argue that Robinson should be more in the conversation than he is given what St Mirren have achieved. And I think that's a fair argument.

"But it has long surprised me that McInnes has not been taken by Hearts or Hibs given the amount of time they've been looking for managers in recent years.

"He's done a very good job at Kilmarnock and you could argue that his race has almost run at Kilmarnock. What more can he achieve there?

"And just given what he's achieved in the Scottish game, at some point I've always thought he may become a serious contender for one of these roles. It now appears that's the case."

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Hearts and Scotland goalkeeper Craig Gordon has reiterated his desire to extend his long career but is yet to agree a new deal at Tynecastle.

The 42-year-old is nearing the end of his current contract and reckons the club's search for a new manager will delay a decision on his future.

"I've spoken to the club a couple of times," he told BBC Scotland.

"Obviously we don't have a manager in place at the moment, so things will probably take a little bit longer.

"We'll continue to speak and we'll see what the new manager's plans are when he comes in.

"I just want to play for as long as I can. We'll see how long that is."

Having been overlooked for Euro 2024, Gordon has once again established himself as first choice for Scotland and has no plans to retire from the international scene.

"I'll keep going as long as I possibly can," he said. "I'm really shortening up my goals and just looking one step at a time, one game at a time at the moment.

"I'll concentrate on finishing the season as strong as I can and then see what happens this summer and beyond."

On playing for Scotland, Gordon, who has 81 caps, said it was "the best feeling", explaining: "To walk out, especially at Hampden, to see that crowd and know that everyone is behind you, it's always been the best part of my career.

"I've been so lucky to do it the amount of times I have and that feeling never gets old. When you're standing singing the national anthem, to hear the stadium sing it back, I don't think there's a much better feeling you can get in football."

We asked for your views on Brighton owner Tony Bloom submitting a near £10m offer for a 29% stake in Hearts.

Here's what some of you said:

Chris: Having Bloom buy into our club isn't going to fix the main issues that currently haunt us. Our current board has squandered over £50m in 11 years and change is needed at the top. Being a successful commercial enterprise isn't how supporters judge a football club's success.

Gordon: A real positive in what's been a season of huge disappointments. Hearts need strong and competent leadership, something hopefully Bloom and his team can provide. Ann Budge needs to step aside, she has had her time and proven her judgement when it comes to footballing matters is way off time and again. The club needs to properly invest in players that will actually improve the team.

Alexander: I just hope the £10m is spent primarily on a couple of decent players who will make a difference from what they are at present. A new training ground has been mooted but I'm hoping that's not the top priority.

Alan: I'd hope this is a good thing for Hearts as things are going great with regular European competition for Brighton and Union SG. No voting rights so can't affect manager selection though with Brighton's last few I'd not complain with assistance on that.

Nelly: As a diehard Hearts fan since 1965, who has been exiled in Sussex for 25 years, I think the news of Bloom's interest in Hearts is fantastic and a potential game-changer. I was at Brighton's last game at the Goldstone and regularly watched them play 'home' games in Gillingham; then the Withdean in the old Division Four. Bloom's money, but more importantly nous, transformed the club into Premier League contenders. Okay he makes a few quid but hey, 'everyone's a winner'. Bite his hand off Hearts!

Steve: I hope analytics prove better than identifying Neil Critchley. I don't see what Bloom gets out of this deal. CEO has to go as he's been responsible for the poor manger appointments even with the help of analytics. The financial help is welcomed, but we lost half of that failing to qualify for Europe.

Paul: It's a no-brainer. This investment comes at a crucial stage as Hearts need to improve on and off the pitch. An astute managerial appointment is also needed.