A momentous week for Heart of Midlothian FC continued today when the club announced the appointment of Austin MacPhee as their Assistant Head Coach.
MacPhee, 37, will assist newly-appointed Head Coach Ian Cathro who was appointed last night and, like Cathro, has signed a three-and-a-half-year deal at Tynecastle. He was assistant to Danny Lennon when St Mirren lifted the Scottish League Cup in 2013 – defeating Hearts 3-2 in the final. He was also at Cowdenbeath but has spent the last two years as Assistant Coach with Northern Ireland and has played a key part in Michael O’Neill’s team recent success, most notably when they competed at this summer’s European Championships in France. Hearts have agreed to MacPhee continuing in this role.
Meanwhile, Ian Cathro was introduced to the media at a Tynecastle press conference on Tuesday. He spoke about the challenges he faces in his new role. He told the official Hearts website:
“It’s the right place because I think of the tremendous work that’s taken place in the football club over the past two-and-a-half-years,” he said. “I think that came from the foundation of seeing how strong and how powerful this football club is, and I think something that is really important about football clubs – and that I’ve been fortunate in Valencia and Newcastle – they’re football clubs that mean so much to people.
“People live their lives through the football club and that makes it real, it makes it a special place. The reaction by the fans and the incredible support that was poured into this football club when it had a bit of a dark day, tells you again that this is one of those clubs that has a real feel and a real connection with people and people live their lives through the football club.”
“That adds to my inspiration and my desire to be able to bring them bright days.”
“There’s been incredible work done by Ann and Craig coming in, and excellent work by Robbie Neilson and Stevie Crawford who I’ve been fortunate enough to meet not so long ago,” he said. “I’m here to take that on further. If there’s one message I want to put out there very quickly it’s that there isn’t a limit to what you can do, unless you believe in the limits that everybody else has set for years and years and years and years.
“I think you probably already think that I don’t live with those limits in my mind. I may believe a little bit further and I’m willing to make the statement that I believe a little bit further and my limits are maybe a little bit different. I believe that there’s improvement to be made here, there’s space to grow and space to develop. It’s a period of time and we intend on being here for a long time.
“There will be good and bad and highs and lows and so on, but it’s about improving and taking another step onto the great work that’s already been done.”
Author of The Team for Me - 50 Years of Following Hearts. Runs Mind Generating Success, a successful therapy practice in Edinburgh. Contact me if you want rid of any unwanted habits. Twitter @Mike1874
