Jones wants Tynecastle job but Hearts turn him down

HEARTS have spoken to Dave Jones about the vacant head coach's position at Tynecastle but will not be offering the job to the former Wolves and Southampton manager.

Jones contacted the Edinburgh club with a view to succeeding John Robertson, who parted company with Hearts earlier this month.

Phil Anderton, the Hearts chief executive, spoke with Jones but says the matter is finished and does not consider him a contender for the post.

"We had a whole range of managers and, to be frank, non-managers, who contacted us," Anderton said last night.

"Out of courtesy I contacted Dave Jones to let him know our position, but we're not progressing that. We're not pursuing it."

Jones, who has also been linked with Cardiff City, has been without a club since he was sacked by Wolves earlier this season. He spent almost four years at Molineux and won promotion to the Premiership in 2003, ending the club's 19-year exile from the top flight, but Wolves were relegated after one season.

Prior to joining the Midlands side, he was in charge of Southampton but was suspended as he fought child abuse allegations relating to his time working in a children's home. Jones was cleared in court of all charges.

Hearts are continuing to sift through applications and hope to begin interviewing prospective candidates next week.

Anderton added: "We've drawn up a list of people and we're casting the net quite wide. We have to find out if the people we're interested in are interested in us. Then we want to draw that down into a short list by the end of the week and begin the process of interviewing as soon as possible."

Meanwhile, Hearts' promising centre-half Christophe Berra has signed a three-year deal with the club. Berra had 12 months remaining on his existing contract, and the new agreement will run until 2008. Neil Janczyk, who has been released by Hearts, is expected to join St Johnstone.

Taken from the Scotsman