Hearts confirm coaching trio to lead the club forward

Steven Naismith, Frankie McAvoy and Gordon Forrest are the men charged with guiding Hearts next season.

The confirmation came in a statement from the Tynecastle club and it detailed that the trio have signed contracts until the summer of 2025, with the option for a further year.

The statement added: “Work will begin immediately ahead of the first team’s return for pre-season training later this month.”

The trio took charge of first team affairs in April and guided Hearts to fourth position in the cinch Premiership and into European football next season.

The statement added that Naismith, McAvoy and Forrest earned plaudits for playing “an enjoyable brand of attacking football”.

Naismith does not have a Pro License, a requirement to manage in European competition so McAvoy will be named as head coach with Naismith serving as technical director.

Forrest is named as first team coach while Paul Gallacher remains as goalkeeping coach.

Andrew McKinlay, Hearts’ chief executive, told Hearts official website that the club were thrilled to confirm Steven, Frankie and Gordon as the coaching team.

He added: “We received a number of excellent applications and, after a robust recruitment process, we believe the three were the best candidates to lead us into next season while sharing our vision for the club’s future.”

McKinlay said Naismith was “an outstanding young coach” with a strong track record of improving players while also displaying a commitment to blooding young talent.

He added: “Frankie has vast experience from his time coaching on both sides of the Border and possesses an impressive track record of developing talent.

“Gordon is very familiar with the club. He’s an outstanding presence on the training pitch and a very gifted coach.”

Joe Savage, sporting director at the club, said: “The aim now is to be as successful as we can be. The first stop is to try and get through the European qualifiers which presents a challenge but one we believe that we’re capable of rising to.

“The sky is the limit. The three have shown in a short space of time what good ideas they have. Let’s see how far we can go because we have a great chance to build something really special at Hearts.”