Icelander Thordarson tipped to take over at Hearts with Terry Butcher

13 April 2012

Long-suffering Hearts fans are once again having to face up to disappointment on the managerial front as Vladimir Romanov reneges on his promise to appoint an experienced British coach.

Reports last night linked relative unknown Gudjon Thordarson, a former Iceland manager, with the Tynecastle post as the Hearts owner goes continental in the wake of Mark McGhee's decision last month to stay at Motherwell.

Gudjon Thordarson, the then-Stoke manager with the trophy after City had beaten Brentford 2-0 to win the DivisionTwo play-off final back in 2002

Yet, in an interesting twist, it is understood that should the deal go ahead, it could include Scotland No 2 Terry Butcher as his assistant.

Romanov had vowed to find a British boss for next season but the unheralded Thordarson's only involvement in the game here was as manager of Stoke City for three years when the club was under Icelandic ownership.

He has recently been back in club football in his native country. It would remain to be seen how, under such a regime, Butcher would combine his duties in Scotland's World Cup campaign, alongside former Hearts boss George Burley, with a job in Gorgie.

Any such appointment would bring to an end Stevie Frail's temporary stint as first-team manager.

Meanwhile, despite opting to stay and lead Motherwell into the UEFA Cup, McGhee insisted last night that he still dreams of being in charge of a top European side.

And the former Celtic and Aberdeen striker admitted that the lure of managing any of the big teams could prove too much to turn down.

He said: "I don't want to be forever managing in front of 6,000 people. I'd much prefer 50,000 and, of course, I'd rather be at a club where you can keep your best players.

"I'd love to manage a team in European competition. When you produce a good player at a club like Motherwell he'll be taken, either by the Old Firm, Hearts or Aberdeen.

"I'm working on the basis that I'm going to be here next year. I've planned pre-season and I'm looking at players."

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