Burley says yes to Hearts

HEARTS have agreed terms with George Burley and expect to appoint him as their new head coach within the next 48 hours.

The former Ipswich and Derby manager met Tynecastle owner Vladimir Romanov in Lithuania yesterday with details of his contract having been negotiated between the Scot’s representatives and chief executive Phil Anderton last week.

The summit with Romanov allowed the Lithuanian to assess Burley face to face and, with his approval expected, Hearts will unveil the 49-year-old as the successor to John Robertson.

All that remains to be clarified are the finer details of Burley’s contract, but he could be in place at the club’s Riccarton training base to oversee the pre-season schedule as of Monday.

Anderton admitted: "We have held positive talks with George Burley and Mr Romanov met him yesterday. Their discussions went well.

"I have met George and my meetings with his representatives have also gone very well. We intend to make an announcement within the next couple of days.

"I won’t take anything for granted until we have a signature but we are confident of appointing the right person."

Italian coach Nevio Scala remains in the frame for the job, but Burley has expressed a willingness to work with the Edinburgh club and is now the clear favourite.

Anderton refused to dismiss the prospect of Scala arriving at Tynecastle in the near future, possibly as director of football above Burley, but the former Parma coach has now slipped to second choice.

Scala is keen to return to football and is also enthusiastic about the prospect of working in the SPL, however negotiations with the Italian have not progressed as smoothly as those with Burley.

The vacant position at Stoke has become a concern for Anderton, who worries about the prospect of a last-minute jumping of ships by the man he wants, but it is understood Burley has stated a clear intention to both Anderton and Romanov that he wants the Hearts job.

He would have no problem having a director of football figure hanging over him as he worked under that coaching structure at Pride Park, enjoying considerable success.

He resigned from his post at Derby County earlier this month, claiming his position had become "untenable". It is believed Burley has become enraged after defender Tom Huddlestone was sold against his wishes.

He joined Derby in March 2004 and steered them clear of relegation before some shrewd wheeling and dealing in the transfer market saw him take them tantalisingly close to a Premiership return in the Championship play-offs in May.

Since then, Burley has been offered the opportunity to become the new manager of Millwall but turned it down. His possible arrival at Tynecastle is likely to be a move favoured by Hearts supporters who are craving a big-name appointment to guide the team through the pre-season campaign and into the new season.

With Romanov determined to mount a challenge to the domestic dominance of Rangers and Celtic, Burley will relish the challenge of tackling the Glasgow clubs with his renowned tactical knowledge and expertise in the transfer market.

The move could also persuade Hearts striker Mark Burchill to accept the one-year deal he has so far rejected from the club. Burley, whilst manager of Ipswich, struck a deal with Celtic in 2001 to take the player to Portman Road on loan.

Taken from the Scotsman