McLeish faces final curtain

As Alex McLeish prepared for his last game in charge of Rangers - and spoke of his joys and regrets as Ibrox manager - the man who will be in the opposite dug-out at Ibrox tomorrow spoke of his desire to lead Heart of Midlothian into next season's campaign.

Valdas Ivanuaskas became the third man to take charge of Hearts this season when he succeeded Graham Rix, who himself had replaced George Burley. The 39-year-old Lithuanian, who had last year been sacked as coach of Kaunas by the Hearts owner, Vladimir Romanov - also the principal shareholder of the Baltic club - has overseen the Tynecastle club's success in achieving second place in the Scottish Premier League as well as reaching the Scottish Cup final.

"Valdas has a big chance now, I will tell you that," Romanov said. "Maybe for the Champions League we should have someone here with more experience, but let's see how we go with Valdas."

Ivanauskas, meanwhile, said that he intended to speak to Romanov after the Scottish Cup final and added: "This is my club now. I love Hearts. The support is very close to the team - it's like a family and I want to stay here."

Whatever happens, Ivanauskas will be remembered fondly by Hearts fans for having kept his nerve on the crucial league run-in, so that the team are guaranteed a crack at the Champions League by keeping in front of Rangers, who must make do with an drop down the table and the Uefa Cup.

"It's a blow that we've finished third. It's a blow to everybody's pride - myself, the chairman, the chief executive, the players - we all feel it," McLeish said. "But congratulations to Hearts. Romanov has spent a few bob and it's worked for them.

"If you had said to me that I would be four and a half years here I would have thought you were a lunatic but I must have done something right. There have been too many good moments to single out, but walking up the marble staircase at Ibrox for the first time as manager I thought 'Well, nobody can take this away from me.' The first trophy was great but then I thought a championship would be nice, then I wanted to do something in Europe - and we've achieved that. My advice for the next manager - don't get injuries and suspensions."

Celtic travel to Aberdeen for their final fixture tomorrow but their minds are on next season and Adam Virgo revealed that some Parkhead players have called Henrik Larsson to urge their former Celtic team-mate and his Barcelona colleagues to beat Arsenal in the Champions League final.

"It would be nice to see an English club win it but if they don't we go straight into the group stage and that's what we want," Virgo said.

Tomorrow's other game sees Kilmarnock play Hibernian, whose manager, Tony Mowbray, called speculation that he would succeed Steve McClaren at Middlesbrough "unhelpful". This afternoon, Dunfermline are at home to Caley Thistle, Motherwell meet Dundee United at Fir Park and Livingston say farewell to the SPL at Falkirk.

Taken from telegraph.co.uk