Villa in frame as Burley quits

Patrick Glenn
Sunday October 23, 2005
The Guardian

George Burley is ready to take over at a Premiership club - with Aston Villa the favourite - after his shock departure from table-topping Hearts.

Burley's exit - 'by mutual agreement', according to a club statement - follows a falling-out with majority shareholder Vladimir Romanov, who increased his stake in Hearts last week and wants to take the club off the Stock Exchange.

Burley, 49, had steered Hearts to the top in an unbeaten start that featured eight league wins on the trot. He was in charge for only 12 games, but leaves with Hearts six points ahead of Celtic and eight clear of Rangers.

Within hours of his exit there was intense speculation as to where he might work next. Newcastle, Everton, Rangers, Portsmouth, Fulham and the Republic of Ireland were all in the rumour mill, but Aston Villa are favourites after reports that Doug Ellis, the Villa chairman, had been talking to Burley for two weeks.

The current Villa manager, David O'Leary, is favourite to take over as manager of the Republic of Ireland, but there is also talk of him replacing Graeme Souness at Newcastle. O'Leary told a close friend last week that he would love to manage the national team, but was keen to stay in club football for a while yet.

Only five weeks ago Burley told The Observer: 'The way this club's going, I wouldn't swap with anybody.' In the same interview, however, he voiced his concerns over Romanov signing two players unseen by, and unknown to, Burley. 'That's not ideal,' he said.

Taken from the Guardian/Observer