BURLEY RELISHES MOWBRAY REUNION

Hearts manager George Burley insists there is no problem between him and Tony Mowbray after the Hibernian manager revealed he had not spoken to his former Ipswich Town mentor since the Jambos boss arrived in Edinburgh last month.

Mowbray was a player-coach under Burley at Portman Road and helped the Scot take the Suffolk club back into the Premiership in 2000.

The former Celtic defender moved to Easter Road in the summer of 2004 to take up his first managerial post at Hibs, taking with him another ex-Town player in Mark Venus as his assistant.

Burley, who consequently went on to manage Derby County, followed him up to Edinburgh at the beginning of July to take over the Gorgie club but there has been no contact yet between the two men despite their past association.

But as he looked forward to the first Edinburgh derby of the season at Tynecastle on Sunday, Burley said: "We get on very well. I can't remember ever falling out with Tony, although I probably said a few words to Mark Venus after his charging runs up that left wing!

"Our wives know each other well but it's one of these things with football, you tend to get your head down and you're busy concentrating on your own club. But we'll have a good chat on Sunday."

Burley admits he is far from surprised that Mowbray chose to pursue a career in management.

He said: "Tony was always a leader on and off the field and a deep thinker of football.

"I moved him to first team coach and since then he's gone from strength to strength.

"Tony did magnificently last season. He finished third in his first season in charge and he deservedly won Manager of the Year, that was a tremendous achievement.

"I'm sure he'll say that Mark Venus was a great help to him so I'm very pleased for them."

Burley denies there will be anything especially peculiar about facing up to a fellow manager like Mowbray, who admits he learned a lot about football from the Jambos boss during a nine-year spell together in Suffolk.

He said: "It won't feels strange seeing him in the opposition dug out. When you're out there managing your own team it doesn't matter who is in the other dug out and I'm sure Tony will feel the same on Sunday.

"I've got an idea of how his team will play and I'm sure Tony has an idea of how we will play.

"They are a very good side who like to pass the ball and they play in an entertaining manner.

"I've been a manager 16 years and if you look at my teams, Ipswich and Derby, that's my style of play.

"But it will take time at Hearts to get that, it won't change overnight but we've certainly got an attacking team, we want to pass the ball and there's a lot of goals in the side, which is encouraging."

Taken from sportinglife.com