Derek McInnes issues Hearts response amid next manager 'chatter' and reveals Kilmarnock latest

Kilmarnock boss Derek McInnes says there has been no official approach from Hearts amid fierce speculation that he is one of the leading candidates for the managerial vacancy at Hearts.

The Tynecastle side parted company with head coach Neil Critchley two weeks ago and earlier this week it emerged that McInnes is of major interest to the Hearts hierarchy, who are keen to appoint someone with a strong background in Scottish football.

McInnes spent eight largely successful years at Aberdeen and has also managed St Johnstone and most recently Kilmarnock. The 53-year-old’s time at Pittodrie, where he won the League Cup, is said to have put him ahead of other domestic candidates such as Falkirk’s John McGlynn and St Mirren’s Stephen Robinson, but speaking in the wake of Kilmarnock’s 3-2 triumph over Dundee that officially preserved their Premiership status, McInnes said there has been no contact from Hearts to the Ayrshire club.

Derek McInnes guided Kilmarnock to a 3-2 win over Dundee. | SNS Group

"I hear all the speculation, same as everybody else,” said McInnes, “but there's been no contact from club to club as far as I'm aware. I've got a brilliant relationship with the club, [owner] Billy Bowie in particular, and Billy I'm sure would be the first to tell me if there was contact.

“You can never, ever as a manager or player stop speculation. So I’m well aware of it. I’m well aware of the chatter and a lot of people have come up to me. But I speak to Billy and the club regularly, nobody has said there’s been any contact.

On the win over Dundee, McInnes added: “I’m just delighted we’ve managed to get a real highlight today. I loved seeing how the players responded to the supporters. It was bathing in sunshine out there.

Kilmarnock overcame Dundee 3-2 at Rugby Park. | SNS Group

“We’ve put the fans through the wringer a wee bit in the last few weeks, but you could see the relief clearly from the stands. I think there was also a bit of pride in the performance as well. We got three goals and we could have scored more and it was a good day for us and we needed a day like that today.”

Hearts - who defeated Motherwell 3-0 on Saturday at Tynecastle - are understood to be mulling over their options over the weekend in the search for Critchley’s successor, with sporting director Graeme Jones in tandem with Jamestown Analytics having made recommendations to the club’s board.