Craig Levein breaks silence on St Johnstone links as ex-Hearts and Scotland manager hankers for management return

The 59-year-old has held talks with Perth club – ‘but until the ink has dried on the paper, nothing is done’

Former Hearts boss Craig Levein is being heavily touted for the managerial vacancy at St Johnstone.

Craig Levein has revealed he has held talks with St Johnstone about becoming the club’s new boss

The McDiarmid Park club are looking for a replacement for Steven MacLean, who departed the Perth outfit last week, and reports over the weekend suggest that Levein is in pole position to take over at Saints.

Speaking on BBC Scotland Sportsound, the 59-year-old former Scotland, Hearts and Dundee United manager said: “I’m really looking forward to it, but until the ink has dried on the paper, nothing is done. I want to have another go at it, throw the dice and see if, in the latter stages of my career, I can make a difference to St Johnstone and get them up the league. There have been conversations. This opportunity is something that I looked seriously at – looked at the squad, the results, spoke to a few people – and had a good feeling about it.”

Levein has not been involved in top-flight management since being sacked by Hearts in October 2019. He currently holds a full-time advisory role with Highland League outfit Brechin City and if he lands the job at St Johnstone, could take their current manager Andy Kirk with him as his assistant.

MacLean left Saints last week following a 4-0 defeat at St Mirren which left the club bottom of the cinch Premiership with just four points from nine games. Coach Alex Cleland assumed interim charge and guided the Perth side to a 2-1 win over Kilmarnock in midweek, but Saints remain three points behind second-bottom Livingston.

St Johnstone are back in action on Tuesday night when they face Motherwell at McDiarmid Park in the Premiership.