Hearts are closing in on the appointment of Ian Cathro as their new head coach, Press Association Sport understands.
Hearts were given permission to speak to the Newcastle assistant coach, and also hope to entice Northern Ireland assistant manager Austin MacPhee to Tynecastle.
MacPhee is reported to be the number one choice for the Scottish Football Association performance director role, which Brian McClair vacated in the summer. But Hearts are aiming to persuade the Scot to move to Tynecastle as assistant to Cathro.
Cathro looks set to be appointed in plenty of time to prepare for Hearts' Ladbrokes Premiership encounter with Rangers on Saturday.
The 30-year-old previously worked with the Jambos' director of football Craig Levein at Dundee United, where he had a senior position in the youth academy.
Levein has previously described former Rio Ave and Valencia assistant boss Cathro as a coaching "genius" and made a failed attempt to take him to Tynecastle in another position.
Levein confirmed on Friday that Hearts were looking for a "young, intelligent, energetic, enthusiastic coach who can help us move on from where we are" following the departure of Robbie Neilson and his assistant, Stevie Crawford, to MK Dons.
MacPhee also fits the profile. The 37-year-old worked under Danny Lennon at Cowdenbeath and St Mirren before joining the Northern Ireland coaching staff, where he has been praised for his "obsessive attention to detail" by manager Michael O'Neill. MacPhee was previously manager of Cupar Hearts, leading them to the Scottish Amateur Cup final in 2007.
MacPhee, who also founded a sports tours company and a youth football club, watched Hearts' next opponents beat Aberdeen 2-1 at Ibrox on Saturday.
He spent his playing days in the United States, Romania and Japan but has already taken his coaching career to far higher levels.
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