Robbie Neilson is no long Hearts manager after Tynecastle bosses made what they called an “extremely difficult decision” to part company with the 42-year-old.

Five defeats in six league games proved too much for the club to take given the fans reaction to Saturday’s 2-0 home defeat by St Mirren which knocked Hearts out of third place.

A statement issued by the club read: “Robbie has been a key part of the club’s ascent back to the upper echelons of Scottish football, delivering another Championship title, a third-place finish, two Scottish Cup Finals and European group stage football in the process.

“This was an extremely difficult decision to reach and we would like to thank Robbie for all of his efforts. A full statement from the board of directors will be released in due course. No further comment will be made today.”

Glasgow-born Neilson (pictured at training by Nigel Duncan) returned to the club in June 2020 having first been in charge from May 2014 to November 2016.

Website | + posts

Experienced news, business, arts, sport and travel journalist. Food critic and managing editor of a well-established food and travel website. Also a magazine editor of publications with circulations of up to 200,000 and managing director of a long-established PR/marketing company with a string of blue-chip clients in its CV. Former communications lecturer at a Scottish university and social media specialist for a string of successful and busy SMEs.