How Robbie Neilson plans to take Hearts to 'further levels' after committing until 2025

In his first spell as Hearts manager, Robbie Neilson lasted two and a half years before seeking a fresh challenge in English football.

This time around, while he remains as ambitious as ever, he doesn’t see the rush in moving on.

Leading his side back to the Premiership and into cup finals and then back into Europe has seen his stock soar but so too has the club’s and the decision to agree a contract extension shows that his professional ambitions and those of his employers align.

Tied to the capital outfit until 2025, there is a mutual trust that each can deliver for the other.

The timing of the new deals - first team coaches Lee McCulloch and Gordon Forrest also signed extensions - just days before Hearts kick off their 2022/23 Premiership campaign against Ross County is a sign of intent and Neilson is keen to get going.

“I’m delighted to stay for hopefully another three years and keep building the club. It’s been a good first two years and it’s a chance to go take it to the next level again.

“I’ve always believed that stability and continuity is a key factor in building a club and building a team, whether that be the coaching staff or the players.

“It doesn’t normally happen in football, though.

Robbie Neilson at Hearts training after signing a new contract until 2025. (Photo by Ross Parker / SNS Group)

“Things change and people move in, others move out.

“But I’m really happy here and I think there are further levels for this club to go up. Thankfully, the club are happy with me too.

“We’re in a good place right now. The Foundation have come in and given us that stability. We’ve got the benefactors with Ann [Budge, chairwoman] and the board is really strong too. The club is progressing and as we do that, we want to keep that stability.

“Hopefully, touch wood, it continues like that and we can keep building.”

To do that while facing the added challenge of European group stage football, along with the usual domestic demands, will take extra effort, man-management and planning, it will also require some additional recruitment to provide the much sought after strength in depth.

“The key thing for me is getting good players in. That allows you to build a team and to develop a squad,” Neilson added.

“When we came in, we were in the Championship and looking to build a team to win it.

“It’s difficult to do that because a lot of players don’t want to come to the Championship.

“Then you get into the Premiership and it’s about building again. Now we’re into Europe and it’s about building for that.

“We have a few areas we want [to bring players in] and we also know what we need in January, if everything goes to plan, but in football it can change.

“If we can get one or two in then it would give us more match winners.

“We had to wait until last September for Barrie McKay and if we need to do that again then so be it.

“My job is to try to win games. Joe [Savage, the sporting director] and the board, their job is to look at the longer term picture.

“But if we continue to do well on the pitch, the next three years will take care of themselves.”

Neilson's new Hearts deal shows club's stability and status – Joel Sked