AMID the forests of newsprint devoted to Hearts' title win, finally a flicker of acknowledgement for the role played in it all by Gary Locke.
At least it appears the Tynecastle outfit's triumphant first-team players haven't forgotten the contribution to their development made by the man who blooded the likes of Sam Nicholson and Billy King during his administration-ravaged 14 months in charge. With Locke set to be confirmed as the next permanent manager of Kilmarnock before the weekend, the correspondence might as well have read: see you next season.
"I've been in touch with a couple of them," said Locke. "They didn't thank me and I didn't want them to. I'm just glad to see them doing very well because I knew they all had fantastic potential. It's good to see them all fulfilling it."
Locke's face didn't fit in the brave new era of Ann Budge, Craig Levein and Robbie Neilson this summer, but the Tynecastle club's loss has been Kilmarnock's gain. Since stepping into the limelight following the dismissal of Allan Johnston, the Ayrshire side have quietly lost just one of their last eight matches, rekindling memories of the storming run Locke's young Hearts squad pieced together when attempting, however vainly, to save their SPFL skins some 12 months back.
"I don't think I have proven a point to Hearts - I didn't feel I had anything to prove," said Locke yesterday. "I did a good job there. When new people come in, if they are have their own ideas and want to change things, then that is what they will do. I'm not the type of person that feels sorry for myself. I am delighted to see them coming straight back up - they have some cracking young players there and it is great to see them do so well.
"Did Hearts benefit from me?" he added. "You would probably have to ask people at Hearts that. I think the young lads certainly learned the hard way. A lot of them had to play when they probably were not ready. I think that certainly set them up for this season and full credit to them. They have had a fantastic season. They have played some great stuff and scored lots of goals. But my focus now is Kilmarnock. All I want is the best for them."
There are the best of intentions for a new beginning at Rugby Park, with Jim Mann replacing the controversial Michael Johnston as chairman, the club starting afresh debt-free, and Locke's contract negotiations all but resolved. Having already served the club as both player and coach, confirming him as permanent manager is the next priority, but a photo taken at Ibrox on Saturday, which saw him sitting alongside Kris Boyd, set tongues wagging about another new potential arrival.
"My future has still to be sorted out but I am hopeful I will be able to get it sorted out in the next two or three days," said Locke, who spent seven years at Rugby Park during his playing days. "I certainly think the club should push on and make sure they have a manager appointed and hopefully it will be done before the weekend. I have spoken with the new chairman a couple of times and he has got a lot of good plans for the club. I have seen what they want to do for the future and it is something I want to be a part of. But like anything else, these things can take time and a lot longer than you want."
Much of that future strategy will look to exploit the club's excellent academy system, but if and when he is confirmed in the role, Locke will confidently reject any suggestion of disloyalty towards Johnston - "I said to him at the time if he wanted me to go with him then I would have done," the 39-year-old says. He has his Hearts experience to remind him how wearily uncertain a career in football management can be. "One of my best mates in the game, Davie Weir, is at Brentford," said Locke. "You see the job he's done there with Mark Warburton yet they are leaving at the end of the season. So nothing surprises you."
As for Boyd, Kilmarnock were suitors last summer, along with Aberdeen. It is hard to make confirmed signings when you aren't one yourself, but nothing Locke says makes you think that another Rugby Park return isn't a racing possibility. "Obviously I played with Kris, he's a friend of mine and possibly because I was sitting beside him at Ibrox on Saturday, someone saw me," said Locke. "But he's very much a Rangers player and his focus is obviously trying to get Rangers back in the top flight. It's not for me to speculate on other team's players as they have a lot of big games ahead. I'm sure it gives him a bit of a headache reading that in the papers - it certainly does me.
"So it wouldn't be right of me to comment on Kris Boyd," he added. "I'm not sure how many goals he has scored this season [10] ... but if we had a striker contributing that, we might be in the top six. Even though people say he's not had the best season, he's still contributed even though he hasn't played as many games as he would have liked. I know Boydy well and I'm pretty sure that wherever he ends up next season, he will score goals. Because that's what he does."
+++Gary Locke was speaking at a Tesco Bank Football Festival at Rugby Park. Over 700 children from 16 schools are expected to be involved in this year's programme across East Ayrshire
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