McGhee poised to snub Hearts

HEARTS' hopes of appointing Mark McGhee as their new manager appeared to be dashed last night when Motherwell said he had agreed to stay with them.

"Motherwell Football Club has successfully concluded negotiations with Mark McGhee, and he is staying at Fir Park next season," read a statement from the club's owner, John Boyle. "We are delighted, as is Mark."

As late as yesterday afternoon, Hearts remained quietly confident that they were closing in on their preferred choice as manager. They understood McGhee was flying to Lithuania yesterday in order to have talks today with the Hearts owner Vladimir Romanov.

A Hearts source also said that they had by that stage been granted permission by Motherwell to speak to McGhee. Motherwell turned down Hearts' initial request on Friday in what was widely seen as merely a negotiating stance in the hope of winning a higher compensation fee rather than a real fight to keep their manager.

According to a friend of Boyle's, however, events took a turn in Motherwell's favour when McGhee told his employer he wanted to speak to Hearts about a job where there was a reputed salary of £350,000 on offer – well in excess of what he currently earns. Boyle told McGhee that Motherwell were just as keen to speak to him, and that, while they would not stand in his way if in the end he opted to move, they wanted him to consider their new offer carefully.

Boyle's offer to McGhee is not thought to have matched what he could have earned at Tynecastle, but it is a substantial increase on the modest sum for which he joined the club. Scott Leitch, McGhee's assistant who would have accompanied him to Edinburgh, is also thought to have agreed an improved deal.

McGhee is believed to have flown to London yesterday and was ready to board another flight to Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, when Boyle got in touch and persuaded him not to go. The two also had informal discussions on Sunday at Celtic Park, where they were watching the tribute game for Phil O'Donnell, the Motherwell player who collapsed and died during a match last year.

Hearts launched their search for a new manager in January, when they disbanded the coaching triumvirate which had been in place for a few months. Stephen Frail was appointed caretaker, but a statement from the club made it plain they were looking for a more experienced man, one who had taken charge of British clubs.

McGhee, who has been manager at Reading, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Millwall among other teams, was identified by Hearts months ago as one of the most desirable potential candidates. He later emerged as the front-runner when Craig Levein committed himself to his present job at Dundee United.

McGhee has, if anything, enhanced his reputation since Hearts first became interested in signing him. Although they were widely expected to suffer a decline in form due to a heavy fixture backlog and a heavier pitch, Motherwell held on to finish in third place in the SPL and claim a spot in next season's Uefa Cup.

Hearts finished eighth – their worst position for years. They were clearly in need of a stabilising influence in the shape of a man who could shake the squad into shape.

They thought they had found such an influence in McGhee. Now, barring a further change of heart by the Motherwell manager, it looks like they will be required to start from scratch.

Having waited until the end of the season to make their move, and having focused firmly on one single target, they have now left themselves with very little time to find a replacement. Frail was to be offered a coaching post further down the pecking order if McGhee and Leitch made the move, and he was expected to seek a move elsewhere. It is hard to see him and Hearts being reconciled at this stage.