Burley in frame as Sir Bobby turns down Hearts

THE door is open for George Burley to become the next manager of Hearts, if he wants the job, after he resigned at Derby County yesterday.

Tynecastle board members have mentioned the former Scotland defender's name in private discussions for some time and an early meeting is expected to be arranged, although Hearts insist that no talks took place with Burley before yesterday's surprise development. Burley, who made his reputation as a manager at Ipswich Town, the team he also served with distinction as a player, said he left his post as Derby manager because of "an ongoing issue which has proved impossible to resolve".

That issue is understood to be the Scot's relationship with the Pride Park board and with the director of football Murdo Mackay - although John Sleightholme, the Derby chairman, last night accused Burley of concealing "the real reasons" for leaving, which could have been a reference to the vacancy at Millwall as well as the one at Hearts.

News of the 49-year-old's departure from the Coca-Cola Championship club came as it was revealed that Sir Bobby Robson, his former manager at Ipswich, had ruled himself out of the running at Hearts. The former England manager was being considered as a director of football, but after initially expressing an interest decided he did not wish to be considered.

Discussions between Robson and Hearts did not reach the stage where a job offer was on the table. Having worked in Spain, Portugal and the Netherlands, and taken England to the World Cup semi-finals in 1990, Robson has the kind of pedigree that Hearts are looking for.

The major doubt was whether, at 72 and having effectively been in retirement since being sacked by Newcastle United last August, Robson would have the appetite and energy to make the full-time commitment demanded by the Tynecastle side. Even if he were to be more of a figurehead than a hands-on director of football, Robson would almost certainly have been required to move to Edinburgh and commit himself for several years.

After asking to be allowed to discuss the matter with his family, Robson told Hearts yesterday that he did not wish to be considered.

Taken from the Scotsman