I'm starting from scratch, insists Robbo

PAUL KIDDIE

JOHN ROBERTSON smashed an astonishing 310 goals in 719 games for Hearts - but the Gorgie legend today insisted that awesome feat will count for nothing in his new role as manager.

The fans’ favourite marched back into Tynecastle yesterday afternoon having been named as Craig Levein’s successor six-and-a-half years after leaving as a player, the appointment the best belated birthday present imaginable for the man who turned 40 last month.

The former striker was the unanimous choice of the board and together with former Jambo Donald Park as his No.2, the pair will set about trying to build on the imposing foundations laid during Levein’s successful reign.

Robertson has a suite named after him at Tynecastle in honour of his achievements during 18 goal-laden years in the Capital but he is the first to acknowledge that his success on the park will only serve to heighten expectations among the supporters.

"My previous record brings added pressure but scoring the goals I did and making the number of appearances I did will count for nothing if I don’t produce results for the first team," he said.

"It was always an ambition of mine to come back to Tynecastle as manager as Hearts is one of the top jobs in Scotland. Given my previous association with the club I was always going to be linked with the vacancy.

"Hearts is the only club who could have taken me away from Inverness Caley Thistle at this particular time but it is not my playing career that has got me here - it is what I have achieved at Livingston and then with the help of Donald Park, at Inverness.

"As I have said, my previous record as a player counts for nothing. If I get the sack it will be because of bad results and bad performances."

Since taking the first steps on the coaching ladder at Almondvale under Lions boss Ray Stewart in 1998, the former Hearts star has quickly proved himself as one of the country’s most highly-rated young managers.

And Robertson was quick to pay tribute to ex-Livingston chairman Dominic Keane for handing him his big chance. "When I left Hearts Jim Jefferies and Billy Brown told me I should use the last couple of years playing and coaching and get myself on the coaching ladder," he said. To be honest I didn’t think I would be back so soon. I got my chance at Livingston under Raymond Stewart and then Jim Leishman and Davie Hay who gave me a great grounding.

"I know Dominic Keane has had his troubles recently but he was also fantastic with me and had the courage to give me my opportunity.

"I knew that to get an SPL manager’s job that I had to go away and manage in the lower divisions and was given a wonderful chance at Inverness and make no mistake it was a real wrench to leave."

He added: "While it was an ambition of mine to come back here I never knew if I actually would and that was the reason behind me taking the job. I didn’t know if it would come round again or if I would be asked again. But I am ambitious and I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t think I could take the club forward and build on what Craig achieved."

The spectre of Vladimir Romanov has been hanging over the club for weeks now, with the Lithuanian set to take control of the club next month.

It is his intention to bring with him Anatoly Byshovets as his director of football but far from seeing the former Soviet Union boss’ presence as unsettling, Robertson is excited at the prospect. "I have been told they were consulted about my appointment and are very happy with it," he said.

"I have already worked with a director of football in Graeme Bennett at Inverness. He was fantastic for me and when I look at the pedigree of Mr Byshovets I can only learn from him."

Very much his own man, Robertson stressed that he would retain complete control over team affairs under the new regime. "I am told Mr Byshovets will come in to help assist in the recruitment of players and scouting for the club. The selection of the team and the comings and goings of players will be my duties, similar to Craig’s."

Robertson takes charge of his first game tonight at Murrayfield when Hearts take on Schalke in the UEFA Cup and he is sure to receive a hero’s welcome from the crowd which could approach 30,000 by kick-off - hundreds of fans were queuing outside the Tynecastle ticket office just moments after the confirmation of his appointment filtered through yesterday.

Such is the esteem in which Robertson is held by the punters that he won’t have to worry about winning over the fans and he spoke of his desire to bring some much-needed unity to a club which for too long has been split by off-field acrimony.

"I have always had a fantastic relationship with the fans in the past and I want to try to unite everybody by working closely with the board and the supporters," he said. "This is a very strong club and when everyone is pulling in the same direction it could be massive. I played in teams under Jim Jefferies and Billy Brown which challenged the Old Firm in the league and got to cup finals and into Europe and that is what we have to be looking at.

"It is going to be massively difficult to follow in Craig’s footsteps. He finished third twice in a row and a lot of people consider that as the best you can do given the financial situation in Scottish football. But as a manager I have to be ambitious and can’t just settle for third."

The new boss was reluctant to become involved in the argument over Murrayfield as an interim home for the Jambos, saying only: "That issue has been flogged to death and to be honest I would manage Hearts on a public park such is my affection for the club.

"We will cross that bridge when we come to it but the ticket sales for tonight have surpassed the capacity for Tynecastle so that shows there is a market for European games at Murrayfield."

Taken from the Scotsman