Former Derby County boss linked with Hearts job as ex-Wales manager also in frame

Gary Rowett, Rob Page and Neil Critchley have been linked with vacancy at Tynecastle as Hearts remain winless in SPL

Former Derby County player and manager Gary Rowett is reportedly in the running to succeed Steven Naismith as boss of struggling SPL outfit Heart of Midlothian.

The Tynecastle club are still in the hunt for a new manager after negotiations with Norwegian coach Per-Mathias Hogmo collapsed due to disagreements over wage demands.

And according to the Sun, DerbyshireLive columnist Rowett has joined former Aston Villa number two Neil Critchley and ex-Wales boss Rob Page amongst the leading contenders to land the job with the Edinburgh club.

Rowett, who has a wealth of experience in England with the likes of Derby, Millwall and Stoke City, was most recently in charge of Birmingham City on an interim basis, failing to prevent them from falling into EFL League One. He was also Rams boss boss from 2017, guiding them to the 2018 play-offs before leaving to join Stoke.

Critchley, a former Blackpool boss, was number two at Villa Park under Steven Gerrard. Page, also a former Port Vale and Northampton boss, has been jobless since resigning as Wales manager earlier this year following their penalty shootout defeat in a Euro 2024 play-off final.

Liam Fox, the Hearts B team manager, has taken over as caretaker manager until the club appoints their next permanent boss, and he ended their eight-game losing run by securing a draw at home against Ross County before the international break.

Hearts are currently 12th in the SPL and still without a win after eight games.

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