THE NEIL DEAL
Hearts confirm new manager as Steven Gerrard’s former assistant revealed as Steven Naismith’s replacement
The new Jambos boss has twice replaced former Rangers boss Michael Beale during his career
HEARTS have confirmed Neil Critchley as their new manager.
The 45-year old Englishman succeeds Steven Naismith in the top job at Tynecastle.
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Naismith was sacked last month after a horror start to the campaign.
The former Scotland international was dismissed following eight consecutive defeats, a run that left Hearts rock bottom of the Scottish Premiership table.
Critchley takes over a side that are still rooted to bottom spot, with just two points to show from eight matches.
He's signed a two-and-a-half-year contract running until the end of the 2026/27 campaign.
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After being confirmed the new Hearts boss, Cirtchley promised to give fans reasons to get on their feet.
He said: "We want you to be excited by the team that you see on the pitch and come to support. We want to be a team that nobody wants to play.
"When you come to Tynecastle on a Saturday, the feeling should be optimistic and excited to see a team that gives the support reasons to get on their feet. You should be able to see the passion of the support reflected in the team.
"This is an exciting time for the club, and it rightly has high expectations. That starts with a simple objective; winning football matches, and our first opportunity to address that is when we play St. Mirren in Gorgie on Saturday.
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"The passion for this football club I’ve experienced in my short time here has warmed me. There’s passion, but also great compassion shown both by the people who work here and the supporters.
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"I promise I’ll give this club everything. You very quickly come to understand how much Hearts means to those who care most about it, and how much of a difference it makes to their lives by giving them a successful team.
"I can’t wait to start this journey, and I’m looking forward to meeting all of the players and getting down to work straight away."
Critchley is joined at Tynecastle by his long time assistant Mike Garrity.
SunSport revealed on Sunday night that he had emerged as the top candidate for the job.
We told you last week how Critchley and Norwegian boss Per Mathias Hogmo were battling it out for the position.
Former Wales boss Rob Page, ex-Birmingham manager Gary Rowett and Swedish gaffer Kalle Karlsson all emerged as names in the frame too.
But it's Critchley who the Jambos have chosen to take the club forward.
On his appointment, Hearts CEO Andrew McKinlay said: “I’m very happy to be able to welcome Neil to Hearts.
“We’ve made no secret of the fact that analytics has guided our search for a new manager, and that data presented us with many top quality options including Neil.
“During the interview process, we got the opportunity to hear from applicants and get a better understanding of them as people and in particular how they have dealt with and learnt from particular situations both positive and negative in their careers.
“In addition, we were able to ascertain who would fit best into our new model going forward which includes the use of analytics for recruitment and the appointment of a new Sporting Director with very clear ideas of what we need to do to succeed. This was a vital part of our deliberations as any appointment has to be fully bought into this to ensure that we have the maximum chance of success.
“Following these discussions, it became very clear who the standout candidates were.
“Neil understands well what we are looking to do, has experience at big club environments, none more so than at Liverpool, and is an ambitious coach with a desire to lead his teams to the top.
“Everyone at Hearts is looking forward to Neil getting to work and I’m sure our supporters will give him a warm welcome when we play St Mirren on Saturday, and continue their unrivalled backing of the team.”
Having retired from playing at 24, Critchley moved into coaching and progressed through the ranks to become academy director at home town club Crewe.
In 2013, he moved to Liverpool where he was under-18s manager for your years before taking on the under-23 job.
Neil Critchley's career
- Neil Critchley was born on 18 October 1978 in Crewe, England.
- He began his playing career as a midfielder and joined Crewe Alexandra's youth academy.
- Critchley made one appearance for Crewe Alexandra's first team.
- He also played for Leigh RMI (now known as Leigh Genesis).
- Critchley transitioned into coaching, starting at Crewe Alexandra's academy where he eventually became Academy Director.
- In 2013, he joined Liverpool's academy, managing the U18s and later the U23s.
- During the 2019-2020 season, he managed Liverpool's first team in two cup matches.
- On 2 March 2020, Critchley was appointed head coach of Blackpool and led them to promotion to the Championship in the 2020-2021 season.
- He joined Aston Villa as assistant head coach on 27 June 2022 but left the role on 23 October 2022.
- Critchley was appointed head coach of Queens Park Rangers on 11 December 2022 and departed on 19 February 2023.
- He returned to Blackpool as boss in May 2023 before being dismissed in August this year.
- Critchley now replaces Steven Naismith as Hearts' new permanent manager.
Critchley also took charge of the Reds' first team for an EFL Cup clash with Aston Villa in December 2019, with Jurgen Klopp and his side in Qatar for the Fifa Club World Cup.
He got his first managerial gig with Blackpool, signing a three-and-a-half-year deal in March 2020.
In his first full season in charge, Critchley led the club to promotion to the Championship via the League One play-offs and subsequently penned a long-term contract extension.
However, he quit Blackpool in the summer of 2022 to become Steven Gerrard's assistant head coach at Aston Villa.
He replaced Michael Beale, who left Villa Park to become QPR boss.
However, Critchley would last just five months with the Premier League giants when Gerrard and his coaching staff were sacked.
He returned to football as QPR manager in December 2022, once again replacing Beale who had moved to Rangers.
But a run of just one win in 12 games saw Critchley dismissed after just two months in the job.
He returned to Blackpool as manager in May last year, once again tasked with taking the club out of League One.
However, after just over a year back in the role, Critchley was dismissed in August this year.
A coach with an esteemed Uefa elite certification, Critchley now heads north to try his lack at the Scottish Premiership.
His first match in charge of Hearts is Saturday's Premiership showdown with St Mirren at Tynecastle.
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