Derek Adams reveals reason he rejected Hearts managerial vacancy talks

Derek Adams has admitted that he turned down an interview for the Hearts manager's job because he'd already agreed to take charge of English League Two side Morecambe.
Derek AdamsDerek Adams
Derek Adams

Adams had been approached by the Tynecastle club about taking over from Craig Levein as boss but although he said he would have been interested in meeting Ann Budge, he'd already agreed to join the English strugglers.

He told The Sun: "I was in the boardroom at the Globe Arena. I was just ready to sign the papers for Morecambe when I got a text from my agent, Phil Smith of First Artist, asking me to call him straightaway. I went out of the room and said, ‘What’s the problem?’.

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“He told me, ‘I’ve just had Ann Budge from Hearts on the phone. She’s invited you for interview’.

“I was a bit stunned, of course. But I responded, ‘I’ve got a problem. I’m in the boardroom at Morecambe and I’ve agreed a deal to become their manager. I can’t walk out on them now to go for an interview at Hearts’.

“In normal circumstances I would have loved to sit down with Ann and discuss the manager’s job there. I obviously know of the club’s history.

“But I’m a person who likes to give his word and that’s what I did with Morecambe. They have been very good with me.

“I couldn’t get out of the situation I was in.

“People will say I should have spoken to Hearts. But if I had walked out of Morecambe then and didn’t get the job at Tynecastle, or even if I had, then my name would have still been tarnished.

“I never want that. I wouldn’t expect a player or a club to do that to me.

“I was offered the job at Morecambe and I was delighted to get back into football management."

Morecambe currently sit bottom of League Two.