Raith manager eyeing up Tynecastle vacancy but his mind remains firmly on the job at hand

Friday 22 June 2012

JOHN McGLYNN is honoured to be on the shortlist to fill the vacant manager's position at Hearts.

John McGlynn is well-known to Hearts having served as caretaker manager there twice in 2005. Picture: Stewart Attwood

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The Tynecastle club contacted Raith Rovers for permission to speak to their manager on Tuesday, and the 50-year-old has since become the favourite to return to the club he once managed on a caretaker basis prior to joining Raith.

Talks between the two parties are said to be at an advanced stage and McGlynn could well be appointed as successor to Portuguese coach Paulo Sergio within days. He has brought relative success to Raith, leading the Fife side into the Irn-Bru First Division before reaching a Scottish Cup semi-final and only narrowly missing out on promotion to the Clydesdale Bank Premier League two seasons ago.His ambition to return to Tynecastle is clear, yet McGlynn remains typically calm about his prospects of taking charge. "To be in the frame for a job as big as the Hearts one is an honour, and it is good of them to consider me," said the Raith manager. "They have chosen to speak to me, so it's obvious that I am under consideration, but it's not wise to make any assumptions. "I have always enjoyed a good relationship with Hearts and I am delighted they think I would be a worthy candidate, but for the moment I can only wait by the phone. If Hearts decide to go in a different direction then I will continue my work with a great club, Raith Rovers."In a quirk of fate, McGlynn was at Hearts' Riccarton training base last night, but only to put his current side through their paces in a late training session at the Edinburgh complex. He could be forgiven for allowing his mind to concoct thoughts of running training sessions there on a daily basis next season, but that would have been just a temporary break in concentration."I'll probably end up photographed outside Riccarton and people will assume I'm there to sign for Hearts," he said. "It's the opposite; I'm getting on with my job at Raith Rovers, and that has to be my philosophy. I've been in this game long enough to know things can change, and until my name is on a contract which says I am Hearts manager I will continue my work here."Should that come to pass the coach will leave Raith with the best wishes of the club's hierarchy. Turnbull Hutton, a Raith director, has developed a strong relationship with McGlynn since he took over the side six years ago and has endorsed the coach's diligence."Nobody is more committed than John McGlynn," said Hutton. "His poor wife Wilma, on his days off he takes her to football matches. He is a hard working guy that has good professional standards."He will likely need to raise them at Tynecastle. Sergio left having led his side to victory in the William Hill Scottish Cup final – against Hibernian no less – and his brief legacy will be revered by supporters.The Portuguese was polite about the prospect of McGlynn replacing him at Tynecastle – "I met McGlynn when I was working last season. If he's the man, I wish him all the best," he said, succinctly – but has proven more generous towards his former players and staff. The Hearts squad are to be treated to a slap-up meal by Sergio this evening, the Portuguese also hinting at a sense of regret at having failed to agree terms to remain at the Edinburgh club."I think the job wasn't finished. It was our pleasure to keep doing our job," he said. "We would like to do it, but we have to accept and understand what the board is doing for our club. For us, people have to understand too, that such a cut in our wage is too much for us."We want to do the job, but we have to look to our careers and to our lives too. I am very proud to have worked with Hearts and wish them all the best. I would love to keep working in the UK. I am waiting for a few things, seeing if there is a possibility for me."

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Raith manager eyeing up Tynecastle vacancy but his mind remains firmly on the job at hand

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