Gamble paid off for new Hearts boss John McGlynn

The new Hearts manager took a financial hit when he left Tynecastle in 2006 to take charge of the Second Division side. He spent five-and-a-half years at Stark’s Park and, in that time, led his side to the league title, promotion back into the First Division and their first Scottish Cup semi-final in almost 50 years.

He believes that he has learnt valuable lessons from his time with Rovers and feels that his return to Tynecastle has justified his decision to take a chance and drop down the leagues.

He said: “It was a gamble to leave in the first place but I think that it has paid off for me.

“I got the opportunity to come back here and that is down to the work that I did at Raith.

“I took a big wage cut to go to Raith Rovers to cut my teeth.

“You know, it wasn’t money-motivated at all, it was ambition to see if you could go and do the job for yourself.

“After five-and-a-half years and reasonable success with virtually no budget, working in those circumstances and then coming back here having been through all of that, I think that I am more than ready for it.”

Hearts have announced that they will be travelling to face Rotherham in a pre-season friendly at the end of this month. The League Two side will play host to the Jambos on Saturday, July 28 at their brand new New York Stadium and McGlynn says the match will be a tough test for his side: “It’ll be good to play somewhere a bit different with a bit of freshness away from Scotland.

“Rotherham isn’t too far away and it will certainly be a difficult match which will get the players out of their normal routine.

“We’re visiting a club with a brand new stadium and a new manager, so it’s going to be a good stage for our players to test themselves on.”

Meanwhile, Ian Black has reportedly agreed to join Rangers, but only if they are playing in the First Division next season.

The club and player’s representatives are believed to have agreed personal terms with Charles Green’s men yesterday, although the deal for the former Hearts midfielder will not go through if they take the drop to the Third Division.

If the move does go ahead it is bound to anger Hearts supporters, whose club are still owed money by the Glasgow club for the transfer of Lee Wallace.

With Rangers in the process of being liquidated and a newco formed, Hearts are unlikely to receive anywhere near the full amount they are due by the the Ibrox outfit.

In a bid to cut costs, Hearts allowed Black to leave Tynecastle at the end of last season when he reached the end of his contract.