FORMER Lithuanian national coach Benjaminas Zelkevicius has spoken for the first time on the possibility of him becoming the new head coach at Hearts.

The Evening News understands that the 62-year-old, nicknamed Zelkus in his homeland, has intimated a desire to succeed Graham Rix at Tynecastle this summer, although no formal discussions have yet taken place with Hearts' majority shareholder Vladimir Romanov.
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As Lothar Matthaus encouraged Romanov to contact him regarding the vacancy, Zelkevicius refused to rule himself out as a candidate, saying: "I don't know what will happen. I know Valdas Ivanauskas well and he is a good guy. I wish him and Hearts all the best but it is difficult for me to talk about it right now."

Zelkevicius is presently head coach of the Latvian champions Metalurgs Liepaja, however he is fondly remembered in Lithuania for leading Zalgiris Vilnius to a third-place finish in the old USSR championship in 1987.

Speaking from his family home in Vilnius, Zelkevicius revealed his strong interest in Hearts as a consequence of the healthy Lithuanian influence at Tynecastle.

"I watched the Hearts-Hibs semi-final and the match against Celtic on Wednesday. I coached Ivanauskas when he was my player at Zalgiris Vilnius, and we had a very good team then.

"I also had Edgaras Jankauskas as my player at Zalgiris and I know of Deividas Cesnauskis through the Lithuanian national team. Hearts are creating a lot of interest for the Lithuanian people because they have one of our coaches and some of our players.

"But I have a contract with Metalurgs at the moment. We have won the league and are in the Champions League for next season so I can't comment on anything else."

Zelkevicius has been in Turkey recently at a pre-season training camp with Metalurgs. He travelled back, via Vilnius, to the south-west Latvian city of Liepaja late last week.

Metalurgs won the Latvian Virsliga, which runs from April to November, by 13 points from second-placed Skonto Riga last year, and Zelkevicius has been preparing his side to defend their title as the league season resumes this weekend.

He has plenty of experience, possibly enough to impress Romanov having been Lithuanian national team manager from 1995-1998 and then again from 2001 to 2003. However, he has admitted to a penchant for another Scottish team.

"Many years ago I remember Celtic came to Kiev to play Dynamo in the European Cup and they had a fantastic team," said Zelkevicius. "I regard them as the face of Scottish football."

Zelkevicius was the most celebrated Lithuanian player of the 1970s era. As a coach, his CV details spells in charge of unknown Russian sides like Kamaz Naberezhnyje Chelny, Shinnik Jaroslavl and Baltica Kaliningrad. However, he has also managed the more reputable Rotor Volgograd and spent a year with Austria Vienna.

Matthaus, meanwhile, has opened the door for a meeting with Romanov by admitting his interest in coaching at Tynecastle. "Hearts is a good club," said the German World Cup winner. "I follow Scottish football and have been impressed with Hearts.

"I will push nothing from here, but I would welcome a chat with Mr Romanov. I feel Hearts could now end the Celtic and Rangers dominance in Scotland."

Matthaus has most recently coached in Brazil and also taken charge of Hungary.

Romanov is unlikely to reach a decision on Hearts' new head coach until the summer, when it is determined whether Hearts will be playing Champions League or UEFA Cup football next season.

Taken from the Scotsman