New Hearts boss Craig Levein confident he can bring back stability

CRAIG LEVEIN believes he is the man to bring back stability to Hearts – even if it means juggling two jobs.

The Jambos director of football has returned to the Tynecastle manager’s office he previously occupied between 2000 and 2004.

Owner Ann Budge has handed the former Scotland head coach a three-year contract to lead the first-team but he will retain his other post as well as a seat on the Gorgie board.

Hearts have been on the look-out for a new boss since axing Ian Cathro four weeks ago.

Caretaker Jon Daly was considered but Budge was reluctant to hand the rookie coach a “poisoned chalice” amid a testing period that will see the club based at Murrayfield until November while the finishing touches are put to their new main stand.

Former servants Steven Pressley and Paul Hartley were also in the running but Budge decided Levein was the right man after he made it clear he was ready to return to the dug-out.

“There is a moment when it is right and that moment’s now,” said the 52-year-old. “The club is in a fairly healthy place. In my role as director of football, I’ve been able to build the club back up to the place where it is just now, which I think is in very good shape and makes it possible for me to do the two jobs at once.

“Part of the process involved Ann wanting to be absolutely certain I was capable of doing the two jobs. But the football department is in such a good place that I said to Ann, ‘I can do that’. I did it at Dundee United for two-and-a-half years.

“I think Jon Daly did a fantastic job in the interim period.

“But what’s really important to get across is that in this moment in time, the club needed stability. It was very difficult for Jon to face the number of away games we have got. Even the home games we have will be at Murrayfield. It’s a long time until November when we are back playing here at Tynecastle.

“So it was very difficult for us to foist that onto a young coach.”

Levein – whose first game in charge will be against Aberdeen at the home of Scottish rugby on September 9 – has not worked on football’s front-line since being fired by Scotland in 2012.

Now having faced constant sniping over his alleged interference in first-team matters since returning to the club as director of football three years ago, he is looking forward to being held accountable for the decisions he really makes.

“When Ann asked me to return to the club there was a lot of work to be done to restore the club’s football departments to the level they used to be at,” he said.

“As time wore on and everything was starting to run more smoothly, I started to have thoughts about returning.

“I missed this. I missed being out there. I missed the pressure of being 4-2 down against Hibs two minutes into injury time.

“That’s why I want to get back – and now I have responsibility for all the results, not just the defeats.”

Some fans have questioned why it has taken Budge a month to appoint someone already on the payroll.

But the chairwoman insists this was a decision that could not be rushed.

She said: “We interviewed a number of candidates who were absolutely first-class. But we did have a number of selection criteria which nobody quite fit except Craig.

“Maybe it was that we couldn’t find anybody better at this point because Craig has all the qualities we were looking for.

“I think if we had made a quick appointment you (the media) and others would have crucified us for not looking and thinking things through. I refused to be rushed because it is a big decision.”

Levein was responsible for appointing Cathro but the former Valencia and Newcastle coach’s eight-month reign turned out to be an unmitigated disaster and he was finally axed after his side’s wretched Betfred Cup campaign ended in an early exit.

Now Budge concedes she may be left with another tough choice if Levein’s second stint in charge also turns out to be troubled.

She added: “One of things I’ve been giving a lot of thought to is if this didn’t work out, would I be in the situation where not only do I need a new manager but will I also need a new director of football?

“It’s a serious question for the club but I’m confident Craig is the right choice.

“We would have to look at it depending on the situation at that point but I’m not one to throw the baby out with the bath water.”