Heart of Midlothian Football Club is delighted to confirm the managerial appointment of Neil Critchley.
The Englishman, who boasts vast coaching experience down south, becomes the Jambos’ new Head Coach on a deal through to the end of the 2026/27 season.
He’ll be assisted by former Liverpool Academy, Blackpool, Lincoln City and Queen’s Park Rangers coach Mike Garrity, who also has experience coaching abroad in Norway and China.
45-year-old Neil has worked with some of the biggest names in world football in his previous roles as Head Coach of Liverpool U18s and U23s, and won promotion to the EFL Championship as a manager in his own right at Blackpool.
A promising footballer at Crewe Alexandra, Neil cut short his playing career at the age of 24, which led to his first steps in coaching. By 2007 he was elevated to Joint Academy Director with the Railwaymen, before Liverpool came calling in 2013.
As the Premier League giants’ U18s coach, and then U23s coach, he helped shape the careers of the likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Neco Williams and Rhian Brewster, and also worked with future Jam Tarts Ryan Fulton and Yan Dhanda.
Following seven years at Anfield, working under the guidance of Brendan Rodgers and then Jurgen Klopp, the time was right for Neil to branch out on his own, taking on the top job at Blackpool.
Season 2020/21 brought great success, as Neil steered the Bloomfield Road outfit to third in EFL League One, going on to win the play-off final and securing promotion to the Championship.
The subsequent campaign saw The Seasiders consolidate their Championship status with a 16th place finish, well above the relegation zone, before a move to Premier League side Aston Villa as Steven Gerrard’s assistant in June 2022.
A short spell as head coach of Queen’s Park Rangers followed before Neil returned to Blackpool for the 2023/24 season, where they would just miss out on a play-off spot by three points.
Neil’s journey now takes him to Gorgie, where he will focus his efforts on getting the Jambos back on track domestically as well as building on the fantastic start made in the UEFA Conference League.
Speaking about the appointment, Chief Executive Officer Andrew McKinlay told the Official Hearts Website; “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.”
Incoming Sporting Director Graeme Jones said: “I have been privileged enough to be involved in this process ahead of officially commencing my role as Sporting Director at Hearts, and I have been impressed at how robust and concise it has been.
“Our analytics partners, who have an extremely good track record of managerial appointments in the UK and abroad, worked with us to provide a shortlist of compelling and contrasting options, which through interviews and negotiations have led us to today’s announcement.
“Neil was the outstanding candidate based on the analytics, and having spoken with him at length I believe he is who we need to provide success as the club prepares to enter a new, exciting era.
“For Neil to succeed he, like anyone, will need the right environment and I will work closely with him to provide that environment.”
