Davies can become the King of Hearts, says his former Preston boss Craig Brown

By Ian Clarkson

Davies is currently on holiday in Portugal after his Preston side suffered defeat in the Championship play-offs against Leeds last week. He is pondering his future with his family and is expected to announce a decision upon returning to England.

Hearts' majority shareholder, Vladimir Romanov, has yet to confirm Valdas Ivanauskas as being in permanent control despite leading the club to the Champions League qualifiers via second place in the Scottish Premier League and to the Tennents Scottish Cup.

The former FBK Kaunas coach is now back in his native Lithuania still seeking assurances on his future and is expected to meet with Romanov at the end of the week. However, in a glowing reference to his former assistant and successor at Preston North End, Brown said Davies had the pedigree to work at any level.

Yet Brown has conceded that Davies' lack of experience in Europe could count against him. Hearts will take part in the Champions League qualifiers in July and club owner Romanov has expressed his desire to have at the helm a manager who has worked in such rarefied surroundings previously.

"Billy would be a wonderful manager for Hearts," said Brown. "He's got every attribute - he's top notch, superb in every respect. He has complete football knowledge, terrific enthusiasm and is marvellous on the training ground."

Davies has made no secret of the fact that his ultimate ambition is to work in the Premiership but he remains open to offers after taking Preston to the Championship play-offs in two consecutive seasons. "I will only leave if myself and the board of directors feel it is the right thing for the club and for me," Davies said.

"If that happens then I'll look at it. It's like anything else - who knows? All I can say is I have had a wonderful time at this football club. It's been a tremendous memory for me and I am not in any rush to leave the place. But you can't stop progress for anyone.

"When you take a club this size with these resources to the play-offs then it is going to be special. I'm sure there will be lots of speculation during the summer."

Davies held private discussions with Hearts regarding the head coach's position last year prior to the appointment of George Burley at Tynecastle, although on this occasion the Preston chairman Derek Shaw is keen to stress that no official approaches have been made for his manager.

"We have had no contact from anyone," he said. "There have been no approaches from any club for permission to speak Billy. I have a feeling this speculation is going to go on all through the summer, and already it's boring."