Hearts Sporting Director Joe Savage has continued his rebuild off the field, with John McLaughlan being the latest appointment.
McLaughlan has played and coached in the Scottish game for years and will bring a vast amount of experience to the Edinburgh club.
He spent seventeen years at Celtic Park, specialising in the development of players in the Celtic academy, before departing to take up his new role at Tynecastle.
A spokesperson for Hearts FC said: “Heart of Midlothian Football Club is delighted to confirm the appointment of John McLaughlan as its Academy Coaching Development Manager.
The hugely experienced coach joins the Jambos as part of Sporting Director Joe Savage’s football department.
A former player with Partick Thistle, John cut his coaching teeth with the Jags and Livingston before joining the youth set up at Celtic in the mid noughties. He would go on to coach the U17s, U19s and lead the intermediate academy during a 17-year spell at Celtic Park.
He takes up his new role at Tynecastle with the aim of ensuring the best coaching methods are in place at youth level in order to progress the club’s young players towards the first team.
Joe Savage said: “I’m really happy that we’ve managed to John on board.
“He has a wealth of experience in the game here in Scotland and, crucially, he has specialised in youth development.
“It’s no secret that we’re focusing a lot on creating a pathway from youth level to the first team, and to have John here passing on his knowledge and mentoring our youth coaches is hugely exciting.
“To get someone in John who is so established in academy football to really believe in the vision we have set out, and for him to be the one to deliver it, is a definite coup for us.”
