Gary Locke remains integral to Hearts’ future, but step-up unlikely at present

With a year of his contract still to run, the first-team coach’s position was never going to be affected by the negotiations with Paulo Sergio which ended unsuccessfully on Thursday night. But Hearts have gone further than merely noting that Locke will remain at the club.

Hearts stated, in the announcement that Sergio would not return to Tynecastle, that Locke “will be part of the new coaching set-up”. Just as the former club captain was kept on at the start of last season when Hearts dispensed with his mentors Jim Jefferies and Billy Brown, so he has now received a second vote of confidence. What remains to be seen is exactly how much confidence the board of directors have in him, and whether it turns out to be misplaced.

One option which could appeal to Hearts on the grounds of cheapness is to make Locke manager along with Darren Murray, the club’s player development manager. The more experienced John Murray, Hearts’ director of football, could then take a supervisory role.

Hearts only promoted the two Murrays to their present titles at the start of the year, hinting at a greater involvement once Sergio and his two compatriots had gone. But player development is a notably different role from running a first team, and Darren Murray appears far more comfortable out of the limelight.

Locke would be less inclined to shy away from promotion, his commitment to the club is second to none, and his leadership qualities are outstanding. But it is one thing to show those qualities from within the dressing room, and another when there is more distance from the players.

In other words, as a first-team coach Locke has done a really good job, but promotion could prove premature. His emotional attachment to Hearts could also be a drawback if he were in a position where more detachment was required, at least at this stage of his career where he is still close to the players’ age – he turns 37 next Saturday.

Locke is being earmarked as a possible future Hearts manager, all right. But at the moment, that future looks like being two or three years down the line at least. Before getting the big job, he may have to serve a third stage of his apprenticeship under whichever outsider is brought in to succeed Sergio.