Hearts CEO exclusive on Mcinnes, mistakes, Shankland, Bloom & title challenge.

Hearts announced Derek McInnes as their new head coach, succeeding Neil Critchley; Andrew McKinlay confirms Lawrence Shankland’s contract offer; Hearts CEO reveals why Tony Bloom’s projected investment could be critical and shares his ambitions to compete for the Scottish Premiership title. Hearts CEO Andrew McKinlay discusses Derek McInnes being named head coach, the mistakes surrounding Neil Critchley’s appointment, his relegation fears, the future of Lawrence Shankland, Tony Bloom’s potential investment, fighting for the title and more. Hearts CEO Andrew McKinlay acknowledges he had relegation concerns before firing Neil Critchley, but is now “incredibly excited” about the future after hiring Derek McInnes as head coach.

In an exclusive interview with Sky Sports News, McKinlay discussed Lawrence Shankland’s future and disclosed that the striker has been given a new deal. With Brighton owner Tony Bloom also in talks about a prospective £9.86 million investment in the club, which uses his analytics firm, McKinlay believes winning the Scottish Premiership title is a target the Tynecastle Park side should be able to achieve in the future. Click above to listen to his full interview on our Essential Football Podcast, with the highlights of his conversation following in our Q&A with the Hearts manager… Why was Derek McInnes the best fit for this club?

“In the here and now, where we are, where the club is, I believe Derek brings exactly what we need at this time.” “We need someone who understands the Scottish game, has managed at the highest level of Scottish football, understands the needs of the Hearts fan base, and has previously achieved success. “Derek is the man and I’m really looking forward to working with him.” How many candidates did you speak with? “We spoke with a large number of Scottish candidates, as well as several overseas contenders. But this time, we had a strong predilection for the Scottish side of things, but we didn’t want to limit ourselves to that.