VALDAS HEARTS D-DAY

VLADIMIR ROMANOV will tell Valdas Ivanauskas on Monday if he is to become the new boss of Hearts.

Ivanauskas revealed he will have showdown talks with the club owner in Lithuania.

The former FBK Kaunas head coach reckons he will be kept on at the club next season, even if it's as first-team coach.

Ivanauskas has been acting as stand-in boss since Graham Rix was sacked in March but will be told if the job is his for good in the summit talks.

Ivanauskas is in a strong position after leading the Jambos to the Scottish Cup and the Champions League qualifiers.

He told Record Sport: "I will have a meeting with Mr Romanov on Monday or Tuesday to discuss the issue.

"I think I will be staying with Hearts next season but in which position I don't yet know. I think there is a big chance I will stay with the club but more answers will come next week."

Lithuanian Football Federation president Liutauras Varanavicius revealed this week that Ivanauskas may have to step down from his post as No.2 with the national team if he is offered the Hearts job full-time.

But Ivanauskas will again take soundings from Jambos owner Romanov before deciding whether or not to commit to the international team, which is in the same European Championship qualifying section as Scotland.

Ivanauskas added: "I also have a meeting next week with the Federation president and Vladimir has also asked me about my future with the national team.

"Lithuania are in the same group as Scotland so it's not a big problem for me to stay with the national team.

"However, if Vladimir says I must stay only with Hearts, then I will stay with Hearts."

Taken from the Daily Record